Titans of Literature
by Stryker. AJ
Summary: After some dickhead decided to place the character files of Four Titanfall 2 Titans into the game, the four link to the members of the Literature Club and form bonds with them. Now, they protect them from whatever the Hell goes on in the game whilst assisting them with personal issues. (Appearing Titans: Ion, Scorch, Ronin and Monarch)
1. Ion flavoured antidepressants

Without much motivation for the day, nor the inclination to get up and do anything productive, the coral pink haired girl stared up at the ceiling whilst laying on her bed.

She was having yet another one of her… 'moments' of thought, wondering what she could exactly do today without fucking it up royally for everyone. It wasn't exactly her fault, per say. Her clinical depression made her think negatively about herself for a long time. The fact that her dear friend and secret crush, _Anon_, didn't seem to want to walk with her anymore made her feel worse, even if it wasn't exactly her fault that he had stopped.

Turning to the side, she saw her table drawer open, her self made noose just barely visible, poking out from the drawer ever so slightly. Perhaps she could just end it all here and now… no one would care… right?

"**Pilot **_**Sayori**_**, your serotonin and norepinephrine levels have decreased." **

Those words broke the coral pink haired girl out of her trance as she jolted up from her bed, eyes wide as she recognised that voice. Turning to her left and staring out at the balcony window, the girl, _Sayori_, couldn't help but give a small smile when she saw the single optic of her personal Titan unit, _Ion_.

"Don't worry about me, _Ion_…" said Sayori dismissively with a small wave, prompting the _Atlas _based Titan's singular optic to narrow. "Just… experiencing a minor… erm… wave of laziness!"

"**A drop in serotonin and norepinephrine levels is an indication of depression, pilot. My scanners don't often fail me. Please, if you wish to relief any form of Stress, you may speak to me. It is a necessity in order to uphold Protocol 3." **

_Ion's _voice was commanding, which was slightly strange as she was meant to listen to Sayori, her pilot. However, the girl wasn't willing to argue as she stood up from her bed, however slowly, and moved over to change out of her pink shirt and short blue pants and into her standard school uniform.

Right as she was done with putting on her uniform, Sayori paused. Staring down at her blazer, the young woman opted to keep it apart before moving over to retrieve her prized bow. A gift from her old friend Anon… the only real reminder she got of him at this point. The girl bit her lower lip as she placed it onto the top of her forehead, though she did this slowly, unable to feel much as she clipped it onto her messy hair.

"**Pilot, your cortisone levels are increasing." **

"Eh?! W-What does that mean?!" exclaimed Sayori, getting into character as she raced down the stairs. Turning to her downstairs clock, the girl saw that she was about an hour late for school. Widening her eyes and cursing herself for being such a lazy child, Sayori rushed outside, just in time to see her Titan unit leap over the fence of her house and kneel down by the sidewalk, waiting for her.

Being heavily based on the _Atlas _Titan, _Ion _was substantially bulky, though not to the extent of her _Ogre _counterparts. Standing at about a quarter taller than Sayori's house, _Ion's_ 'face/torso' was more or less a hexagon shape with her single optic poking out the middle, and the armour platings on her limbs were mostly squared off. And, for whatever reason, Ion has four baggies attached to her lower torso and sides of her legs. Sayori took advantage of that and loved stuffing them with food. The girl noted that _Ion's _Splitter Rifle was still attached to the back of her hip, though she didn't pay it much mind as they didn't really need it anyway.

"**Pilot, the fastest way to arrive in school is to embark. We must uphold Protocol 2, Uphold the mission." **

The calm OS of _Ion _have given Sayori her orders, and within seconds, the coral pink haired girl had raced towards the Titan, though not before turning over to Anon's house to see if he was still there.

'_You dumbass…' _came the voice in her head as she stopped in front of _Ion_. _'He wouldn't waste his time waiting for someone like __**you**__."_

And Sayori frowned deeply at that as _Ion_ simply scooped her up into her massive hand before the front of her 'face/torso' popped open to reveal the cockpit. The Titan gingerly placed her Pilot into the cockpit chair and engage her manual systems, though when she realized that Sayori was not interested in piloting her manually today… a strange thing indeed, _Ion_ reverted back to her Auto-Titan state and marched towards Sayori's school

"**Pilot, what has happened to you? Your chemical makeup is not often as unbalanced in school than it is at home," **began Ion as she gingerly stepped over a car, being careful not to crush it. **"You do not need to worry. I will not divulge this information to anyone. I am simply upholding Protocol 3, Protect the Pilot." **

Sayori herself felt horrible for making _Ion_ 'worry'. She had no right to worry for her… if anything, _Ion _was probably wasting her time being her guardian, a foster parent, even. Twelve years of her existence, wasted on protecting her and not Anon… a horrible shame.

"**Pilot, your serotonin and norepinephrine have dropped once more,"** informed _Ion_. **"Shall I notify the closest hospital? I am sure that they are willing to provide medical assi-"**

"N-No thank you!" exclaimed Sayori, widening her eyes at the thought of making someone help her. The bow wearing girl chuckled ever so slightly as _Ion's _vents pushed out some steam, 'exhaling' ever so slightly as she leaped over the gate that barred the school from outsiders, ignoring the cry from the security guard.

"**As you wish, Pilot…" **came the voice of _Ion's _OS as she knelt down. There was an oddly irritated edge to her normally calm OS, and even Sayori noticed it, and it made her feel like crap. The girl didn't have time to dwell on this, however, as the cockpit of _Ion _cracked open, allowing her to leap out onto the pavement, just in time to hear the bell of the school ring, reminding the Pilot and her Titan that she was horribly late for school.

"Gah! I forgot how late I was! I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly, _Ion_!" apologised Sayori.

The girl would have apologised more if _Ion_ had not told her to **"Uphold Protocol 2"** and sprint off to class. As she did, _Ion_ found a corner to kneel down and power off in, ignoring the stares she was getting from school members or outsiders.

* * *

**Mission: Protect Pilot Sayori **

**Caution: Pilot has been experiencing more frequent drops in serotonin and norepinephrine recently, a common sign of depression. **

**Define: Depression**

…

…

…

**Depression: a feeling of severe despondency and dejection. **

**Conclusion: Pilot Sayori's has an early form of depression. This poses a threat to Protocol 3, Protect the Pilot. I must confide with her on this immediately. **

**Days since first neural link: 4430 days ago**

**Signs of depression since neural link was established: None**

**Replaying memory to ensure accuracy**

…

…

…

"_Whoa, what's that?!" _

_That was the voice of my assigned pilot, Sayori, as I landed right in her backyard. Her parents were behind her, as was a young boy who seemed to be around her age. _

_Odd, the parents and friend of young Sayori seemed to be glitching. Perhaps an error in my software? Unlikely, as Sayori seemed to be fine. I shall save this oddity into into my memory drives for further investigation. For now, I must uphold Protocol 1, Link to Pilot. My systems tell me that the child before me, Sayori, barely three years of age, was my Pilot. Strange… but I upheld Protocol 1 either way. _

"_**Are you the one who calls herself Sayori?"**__ I questioned just to be sure, and the young girl giggled in glee. _

"_The one and only!" exclaimed the girl, and at that point, her endorphins and dopamine levels had increased, indicating a form of happiness. As for me, I simply followed my programming. _

"_**If so, then congratulations, Sayori. You have just been promoted by the Militia to become my Acting Pilot," **__I congratulated. The young Sayori jumped up and down in glee despite most likely not knowing what I had just said, and behind her, the child's parents didn't seem to care that she was about to be promoted into my Acting Pilot. Even that boy beside her didn't react at all as I crouched down lower and opened the hatch of my cockpit. _

_Sayori could only go "whoaaaa" in amazement as she stared at my cockpit. Turning, she asked her parents if she could enter. They gave no response, though she thanked them for an unknown reason before trying to hop in. Unfortunately, my soon to be Acting Pilot was too short to leap in… so I assisted her in climbing into my cockpit. And soon after, she was in the seat. _

"_**Beginning Neural Link," **__I informed, and Sayori didn't even flinch as I linked her mind to my systems. She simply tapped various buttons and consoles within my cockpit as the link was established. __**"Neural Link Established. Congratulations, Sayori. You are now the Pilot of IO-4817." **_

_And as I had expected, Sayori didn't seem to know what I meant as she simply laughed inside my cockpit. "Can we go for a walk around town, Mrs Robot?" _

_Mrs Robot? An acceptable nickname. Storing into databanks… _

"_**I am willing to do so, Pilot," **__I confirmed, though before I could carry out my first Protocol 2 issued by my Pilot, she stopped me. _

"_But… can we bring Anon with us?" she pleaded. Turning down, I saw the young, staticy boy who was most likely Anon and, without question, I scooped him up into my hand and placed him inside the cockpit, right beside Sayori, who squealed in excitement. "Thank you Mrs Robot!"_

_I made no attempt at correcting my Pilot as we initiated Protocol 2, Uphold the Mission._

**Memory: Restored **

**Conclusion: Pilot Sayori has never shown any signs of depression on our first meeting. **

**Reviewing other memories… **

…

…

…

**Observation: Sayori has never shown any sign of depression until Anon stopped going to school with her**

**Conclusion: Sayori is closely attached to Anon. **

**Time since last visit from Anon: 72 days ago**

**Reviewing memory banks for 'Anon' **

…

…

…

**Unable to find any memory in relation to the keyword: Anon**

**Reviewing memory banks for 'Friend of Sayori' and 'Static'**

…

…

…

**Three keywords for 'Friend of Sayori': 'Natsuki', 'Monika' and 'Yuri'**

**Two keywords for 'Static', redirecting to 'Neural Link' and 'Sayori accidentally jamming a cupcake into my Battery Compartment' memories.**

**Conclusions: Interaction with Anon is low or Anon has been KIA. **

**Correction: Sayori has spoke to me about Anon 2 days ago. **

**New conclusion: Anon has not interacted with Sayori for a long time. **

**Best course of action: …**

…

…

…

**Best course of action: Invite Anon over to the Literature Club **

* * *

"_Ion_?"

'Blinking' her monoeye as her Pilot called for her, _Ion _turned up and saw Sayori standing before her. The girl had a smile on her face and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in her hands. Not exactly a healthy or filling choice, though her internal clock told her that it was currently teabreak, not lunch, so she did not voice it out.

"**It is good that you returned safely, Pilot," **said _Ion _as she lowered her hand down to Sayori, who sat down on it, before she moved Sayori up till she was able to sit on her shoulder. It was a daily ritual, more or less, with Sayori sitting on _Ion's _shoulder as she ate whatever she had. **"How was your day, Pilot?" **

"It was… great!" exclaimed Sayori with a mouthful of bread, getting crumbs everywhere as she did. "Mr Cooper gave us no homework and I came in first for PE!"

"**Exemplary work, Pilot," **congratulated _Ion_ approvingly as she gave Sayori a thumbs up. And from then on, she said nothing, her internal systems conflicting with one another in regards to how she should tell Sayori about her recent deductions…

"Hey… _Ion_?" came Sayori's voice, breaking the Titan out of her calculations as her monoeye turned up to see Sayori leaning up against her chassis. The girl sounded… sad, almost guilty, when she spoke, and _Ion _herself felt her serotonin and norepinephrine levels lower once more, half confirming her hypothesis of Sayori's depression.

"**Yes, Pilot Sayori?" **replied the Titan.

"I just wanted to… thank you for sticking by me all this time…" said Sayori rather solemnly, something that surprised her Titan, this wasn't usually how she spoke, though _Ion _said nothing about it, opting to remain passively silent as her Pilot spoke to her. "After mum and dad… went away, you never left. I kept thinking you would like everyone else usually does… but you never did… to stay with me despite all the things I get wrong. I know that it could just be because you were programmed to tolerate me… but even so… it's… I'm just thankful for you being by my side through thick and thin…"

By then, _Ion_ felt something wet on her chassis, prompting her to pick Sayori up in her hand and lift her down to monoeye level… only to see that she was crying. The Acting Pilot of **IO-4817**, the often bubbly and energetic young woman, was crying… and something about it made an internal gear in the Titan click as _Ion_, as gently as she could, wiped a tear off her Pilot's cheek with her massive index finger.

"**I…" **began the Titan, only to stop herself when she was about to speak of Protocol 3. No, that would be in bad taste, so she decided to think of something else. **"Sayori… you are welcome…" **

And _Ion _simply allowed her Pilot to weep softly in her palm for the entirety of tea break, gently rubbing her back with her index finger to soothe the child every so often. She did think of bringing up Sayori's depression, though she thought otherwise. It could wait for another time. For now, Sayori simply needed to unwind.

Though _Ion _herself felt rather odd during the whole ordeal, and even when Sayori had left for classes, the Titan couldn't help but feel differently about that young lady.

Perhaps she was more than a Pilot to her…

* * *

**After school **

_Ion _had waited for seven more hours after Sayori had left for classes after her tea break. The girl was unable to visit her during her lunch break thanks to some sort of festival her club was planning on joining… though _Ion _didn't mind. During the entire club meeting, Sayori showed an increase in her endorphins and dopamine levels, indicating a sign of happiness, something that put _Ion's _systems at ease.

By the time Sayori had exited, with Monika, Natsuki and Yuri waving her off and promising to tag along their own Titans in the future, _Ion_ was already waiting by the gate of the school. When she saw Sayori, _Ion _felt her systems hitch for a moment when she saw that the girl's exhaustion levels were off the charts, enough to make her kneel down and immediately scoop Sayori into her cockpit.

"**Sayori, you require rest," **informed _Ion_ as she placed Sayori in her cockpit. The girl didn't really answer as she gave a groggy 'ok', and with that _Ion _initiated a new Protocol 2, get Sayori home.

It took a quarter of an hour to finish that Protocol, and one they got to her home, Sayori exited the cockpit of the Titan and entered her house. Swiftly, she did all she needed to do; homework, a quick shower, brush her teeth, and within an hour or two, she was already in bed.

"Goodnight… Mrs Robot…" muttered Sayori to _Ion_, who nodded her monoeye from outside her window.

"**Rest well, Sayori."**

* * *

_Useless… _

_It was all useless. _

_Sayori swam through the thick blue liquid as she felt her lungs slowly losing oxygen. Even though she swam with all her might, the girl found that she could never resurface… _

"_Useless, you're just so useless…" _

_Widening her eyes, Sayori turned to her side and saw Monika, floating in the thick liquid alongside her. She didn't seem to be out of oxygen. If anything, she seemed just fine, smirking as she had her arms crossed. _

"_What good is a Vice President who can't even wake up early, eh?" _

_No… stop… _

_Sayori grit her teeth together and began swimming upwards, much faster this time. _

"_You think you're doing it all right," came Natsuki's voice to her right. Sayori squeezed her eyes shut at that as the shorter girl spoke. "But in all honesty, you suck at your job! You're just making it worse for all of us!"_

"_Your happy persona is merely masquerading your broken self, Sayori," came Yuri's voice, and Sayori, despite being in an ocean of thick liquid, felt tears roll down her face at her friend's judgemental tone. "We know who you really are, Sayori. An angsty, depressed little teenager begging for attention…" _

_No… please… stop it… please! _

_And suddenly, Sayori froze. Right when she was mere inches away from the surface, a familiar, black haired, golden eyes boy stopped her from taking a much needed gasp of air. _

"_Y'know, I only really said I was your friend because I pitied you more than anything," said Anon matter-of-factly, and at that point, Sayori couldn't even move. She felt herself sinking as Anon approached her, smiling devilishly as her fellow Literature Club members surrounded her. "We all know that you can't do anything right. We're simply pretending to love you, to be your friends… to care for you. No one could care for you, Sayori. __**No one**__." _

_No… please… stop!_

"_You're worthless!"_

_Stop it… _

"_Just leave the school!"_

_Please!_

"_That big robot probably just follows you because of its programming!"_

_PLEASE!_

"_You oughta just go hang yourself!"_

_STOP IT!_

_And suddenly, before she could run out of oxygen, a massive metal hand crashed in from the surface of the thick liquid and wrapped its fingers around Sayori's body. With great ease, it pulled her out of the liquid, where she resurfaced and gasped for air… _

* * *

"**Sayori, you must wake up!"**

Screaming at the top of her lungs as she jolted up from bed, Sayori immediately took in her surroundings. No water, no members of the Literature Club, no Anon… and definitely no one trying to convince her that she was worthless. The only thing she saw was her room… and _Ion's _monoeye peeking in from her balcony window, the bright light of her optic illuminating the room immensely.

"**Sayori, your adrenaline levels have spiked," **informed _Ion_, her normally calm OS now sounding agitated as she placed a metal hand against Sayori's house. **"You were experiencing a nightmare. Take in several deep breaths and calm yourself. None of it was real." **

"I… it… it wasn't real…" was all Sayori could say as she placed a hand to her heart, breathing heavily as _Ion _had instructed as she began weeping. The girl had several bad dreams in her past… but that was just horrible. Cruel even… enough to make the girl openly cry as her Titan watched on.

"**Sayori…" **began _Ion_, prompting Sayori to turn to face her Titan, who had somehow opened up her balcony window. Taking a step back, _Ion _opened her cockpit hatch and motioned for the girl to step out to the balcony and embark. Sayori was reluctant at first, though after some time she complied.

Once she was in the cockpit, and after _Ion _had shut it, the Titan stood itself upright and spoke to her Pilot using her internal voice.

"**Sayori… perhaps now is a good time to speak of this," **said _Ion _in a tone that was new to Sayori. It… it reminded her of her mother… **"I have done many calculations to confirm a hypothesis I had in regards to your mental state, and I have concluded that you are suffering from clinical depression." **

Sayori said nothing, though _Ion's _internal cameras saw that her Pilot was fidgeting in her seat, something that told her that her hypothesis was correct.

"**I recommend seeking the aid of a doctor," **continued _Ion_. **"There is a hospital half a kilometre away from our current position that is still operational. I suggest-"**

"N-No… the doctors need some rest…" argued Sayori, frowning as she hugged her knees. _Ion _was reluctant to agree, but she complied and stood in silence as Sayori unwinded in her cockpit. After some time, however, Sayori spoke up. "_Ion_…?"

"**Yes, Sayori?" **

"Why did you stay with me for the past twelve years…?" asked Sayori, and _Ion _thought that replying with basic Protocols was a horrid move, so she improvised.

"**You are my partner, Sayori," **she answered. **"My Pilot. Even if I wanted to, I could never leave you."**

"But what if you could?"

"**I would not." **

"But… why…?"

Sayori's serotonin and norepinephrine levels had dropped once more, indicating that she was experiencing her depression yet again, prompting _Ion _to think of a good answer as fast as she could.

"**Because you are an important person to me, Sayori," **answered _Ion_, prompting Sayori to widen her eyes. **"While I am indeed a machine and do not experience the same feelings as you, I do not lie when I say that I love you."**

"Y-You what?" muttered Sayori, and _Ion's _reply made her giggle. "You… love me?"

"**The human concept of love requires admiration, attraction, devotion, and respect. Conclusion: I am 82% in love," **answered _Ion_. Sayori laughed at that response, and _Ion _waited for her to calm herself before continuing. **"While my definition of love is different from yours, it is still love. And people out there do love you. Monika, Natsuki, Yuri… I am certain that even Anon loves you despite minimal contact." **

Sayori simply smiled at _Ion's _words, though her smile faltered when she thought of something.

"I don't know about Anon though… he doesn't really speak to me anymore…" she muttered.

"**I have a solution for that," **responded _Ion_, a response that made Sayori's eyes light up.

"Really?!" she exclaimed in excitement. And _Ion _swiftly explained her idea to Sayori, who thumped herself over the head for not thinking about this sooner. "I'LL GO TELL MONIKA ABOUT THIS! SHE'LL BE SO EXCITED!"

"**Yes, I'm sure she will." **

* * *

***plays the harmonica* y'know, this was originally meant to be a crack fic, something I'd write just to help me unwind from the stress the other stories and college. But now, we have a fully fledged story… dammit. **

**So I've been looking into writing a DDLC story for some time. Never had any real ideas until recently, when I was about to go to sleep. This idea spawned up, so I catalogued it and wrote it up within a few hours. It was fun to write… kinda depressing too, but it still works. **

**This story is, if you haven't guessed, a crossover between Titanfall 2 and Doki Doki Literature Club, two of my personal favorite games. DDLC more for Sayori who is (my personal) best Doki and Titanfall 2 because everything is so hectic. The primary premise is just Titans shoved into the DDLC universe and messing up the game. The story **_**will**_** be following the base plot of DDLC, however loosely, though I suspect that the main plot will only come up after chapter 4.**

**I may as well admit that I do relate to Sayori quite a bit. No, I'm not exactly depressed... I guess it's just teenager angst. Whatever the reason, I simply love the girl. She's just... _adorable_.  
**

**Alright hopefully you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you guys next time. Adios **


	2. Scorched Cupcakes

**Author note: chapters 2 and 3 happen at the same time**

With a small yawn, the pink haired girl most knew as _Natsuki _exited the school she attended alongside her fellow Literature Club members. The day was an intriguing one to say the least, with Sayori informing them that she'd be bringing/dragging a potential new member for the club, something that excited the other three members.

As they exited the front gates of school, Monika instructed them to prepare for their new potential club member the following day. Both Natsuki and Yuri nodded in response while Sayori, as bubbly as she usually was, promised that this 'Anon' boy would be here tomorrow. Yuri herself was indecisive on what she should do to welcome this 'Anon', but Natsuki already knew what she wanted to do.

Breaking off from the group as soon as she exited the school, Natsuki sighed as she walked home, her hands absentmindedly clinging onto the straps of her bag as she walked.

'_Papa will probably be home late today…' _thought the girl as she stared up into the sky, frowning for a moment before her expression hardened. _'But it doesn't mean I get to take my own sweet time baking! I'm gonna make the best darn cupcakes this 'Anon' guy has ever had! Me __**and **_Scorch_!' _

And right as she thought that, she found herself at the front of her house, a simple two story building with about four rooms in total. With a determined look on her face, she got ready to enter… only for a deep voice to greet her.

"**Welcome back, Pilot," **it had said, and Natsuki gave an adorable squeak as she turned to the side to stare at the one who spoke, only to sigh in relief when she saw that it was none other than her personal Titan unit, _Scorch_, peeking out from the side of her house and making her wonder how she didn't see him before now.

"Ah… _Scorch_… you nearly gave me a heart attack!" exclaimed Natsuki, pointing a finger at her Titan scoldingly. Shockingly, the massive mech, practically five times the height of the young girl, seemed to be ashamed of itself as it came fully into view, allowing Natsuki to see its bright yellow and black chassis and horribly bulky armour that very much echoed its predecessor, the _Ogre_. Multiple vents on its chassis vibrated as they worked on keeping the Thermite within the Titan cool, and its single monoeye was locked onto Natsuki as the _Scorched Earth_ apologised.

"**I sincerely apologise for my actions, Pilot," **apologised _Scorch _wholeheartedly (wholecoredly?), lowering his monoeye as he spoke. **"I did not mean to violate Protocol 3. I only intended on 'lightening the mood', as Pilot Sayori puts it." **

"Jeez, you take everything so seriously, _Scorch_!" protested Natsuki as she swung the door of her house open, still speaking to her Titan as she entered. She had notice that her father was not home, much to her relief. "Sometimes I just joke around! Don't take everything I say to heart, alright!"

"**Affirmative. Error: as a Titan manufactured by Hammond Robotics, I do not possess a heart. And, as such, I am unable to take everything you say to heart. I am, however, able to store whatever you say into my memory files. Should I do as such?" **

"Funny, _Scorch_," was Natsuki's response as she went up to the second floor of the house. "You're real funny."

"**I did not intend on being sarcastic." **

And from then, _Scorch _stayed silent as Natsuki, after giving a quick roll of her eyes, went off to take a shower. The Titan crouched down in his standard 'Titanfall' position in Natsuki's backyard whilst waiting, and by the time the loli had spoken up, _Scorch _was halfway close to a full shutdown.

"Yo _Scorch_!" exclaimed Natsuki, prompting her Titan to race up to the side of his Pilot's house, the kitchen window, and peek in. Through the window, the _Ogre_ based Titan could see that Natsuki was wearing her usual white shirt and frilly skirt and that she had her usual baking utensils set on the kitchen counter, and he knew what she was about to do.

"**I take it that we are baking once more, Pilot?" **clarified _Scorch _as he warmed up his Flame Core. Natsuki smirked and nodded, and from then on, both went silent as they began their work.

* * *

While _Ogre _based Titans were not made for jobs such as this… _Scorch _was shockingly good at assisting Natsuki with baking. Or at least he was good at what she told him to do.

Whilst a pilot is inside the cockpit of _Scorch_, the Titan would typically activate his Cockpit Cooling System to keep his Pilot from burning alive. When a pilot is not inside, however, the cockpit of a _Scorch _unit, if left untouched by the Coolant System, can often exceed 200 degrees fahrenheit… somehow not melting the chair inside it.

When she found out about this, Natsuki wasted no time in transforming _Scorch's _cockpit into her new microwave. Her Titan held no objections, and so began a long standing partnership between a Pilot/Baker and her Titan/Walking Oven, with the former beating the crap out of the batter and handing several trays over to the latter, who would bake them in its cockpit outside the window in record time.

Sayori herself once snuck into the cockpit of the _Scorch _for a nap. She ended up getting a fever thanks to the immense heat, though she did enjoy the fact that the cockpit smelled like cupcakes.

"**Pilot Natsuki," **was the first thing _Scorch _said as the two baked their second tray of cupcakes. Natsuki simply turned up to face the Titan, who had his cockpit closed, baking a cupcake inside him as his OS spoke.

"Wassup, _Scorch_?" replied Natsuki as she beat the crap out of some batter.

"**Why are we baking so many at such a time?" **inquired _Scorch_ as his cockpit popped open. The Titan gingerly reached in and carefully pulled out a tray of freshly baked cupcakes before gently placing them on the kitchen counter. The pink haired girl paused for a moment to sniff the cupcakes, smiling ever so slightly at their aroma, before replying.

"No real reason," lied Natsuki, though _Scorch _could tell that she was lying very easily.

"**Your manner of speech tells me that you are not speaking the truth," **pointed out _Scorch_. **"There is no need to worry, Pilot. To divulge this information to anyone would be a breach of Protocol 3, Protect the Pilot. You may share the reason as to why if you wish." **

"Ack, fine. Just some guy that Sayori knows called Anon is coming for a visit tomorrow!" grumbled Natsuki as she handed him another tray of cupcakes to bake. _Scorch _replied calmly as he fitted it into his cockpit.

"**Anon. Searching data banks… a search up of that name matches up with your friend and Pilot of IO-4817, Sayori. Hypothesis: Pilot Sayori and this 'Anon' are comrades." **

"Probably. She talks about him from time to time, though he seems very forgettable," muttered Natsuki as she decided that the two had baked enough to bribing Anon into joining the club. With a nod, Natsuki promptly tossed all the now dirty cooking utensils into the sink and sighed. "Alright, that oughta be enough for tomorrow! Just gotta clean this up…"

While she cleaned the sink, however, the girl felt her vision blur ever so slightly. Shaking her head, she decided to strike up a conversation with _Scorch _to keep her from nodding off. "Yo, _Scorch_?"

"**According to my internal databanks, the proper response is "Wassup My Homie". As such, Wassup, my Homie, Pilot Natsuki?" **responded _Scorch_ calmly. Natsuki snickered at that.

"Mind telling me where papa went?" was her question as she placed an eggbeater back into her cabinet.

"**Reviewing memory… your Father had left your house approximately eleven hours prior while you were in school," **responded _Scorch_. **"Suggestion: your father could be in one of three places. The first is the nightclub, a place he has frequented on several occasions. The second is the bar. The third is the stri-" **

"Right…" muttered Natsuki, not wishing to hear the third option as she began to weakly hobble over to the kitchen table. She moved over to sit on one of the two chairs, and she just sat there for a short while as she conversed with _Scorch_ in regards to several topics that involved manga. As time went on, however, Natsuki found herself losing consciousness, with the last thing she heard being _Scorch _warning her that her hunger levels seemed to be rising to a critical level.

* * *

"**Pilot… Pilot Natsuki… your father has returned." **

Those words were all that were needed to jolt Natsuki up from her slumber. Shooting upright, the pink haired child rubbed her eyes and took in her surroundings when she realized how late it was. She had perhaps slept on the kitchen table for three hours at most. It had been somewhere around seven when she had stopped baking, and the kitchen clock showed that it was about ten.

As she woke up, the girl felt her stomach groan, prompting her to grimace as she turned and stared out of the kitchen window, squeaking in fear when she laid eyes on the bright monoeye of _Scorch_. The Titan's monoeye was staring right at her, and it somehow managed to appear afraid for her.

"**Your father is approximately fifty metres away from your housing estate," **informed _Scorch _once more, and at that, Natsuki found herself shaking off the sleepiness spell and widen her eyes. **"His chemical makeup suggests that he is experiencing the human term of being 'Shitfaced'. I believe that he will be excessively violent towards you especially, and I suggest that you embark immediately. We must uphold Protocol 3." **

As he spoke, _Scorch _slid the kitchen window open and popped his cockpit hatch up to allow Natsuki to embark. The girl, however, didn't find it right to do so. Her father may have been a colossal dick, especially to her, but he was still her father… and both of them were still trying to cope with the fact that a member of their family had perished so long ago. Even if this did result in her getting a proper walloping, Natsuki thought that she should at least welcome her shitfaced father home…

And as soon as she opened that door, she wished that she hadn't.

"P-Papa…" greeted Natsuki nervously as she stared up at her father. Black haired, bespectacled and still holding onto a bottle of alcohol, the man showed that Natsuki had inherited the mother's side of the genes, IE all the _good _ones, and it seemed to infuriate him. His anger seemed to only grow more when he sniffed the air.

"Oi Natsuki, why do I smell cupcakes?!" demanded the older man, having to lean against the door frame to assist him in stepping towards Natsuki, a hand balled up into a fist. Turning to the kitchen, Natsuki gulped as _Scorch_ narrowed his monoeye at her father.

"I-I was just… uh…" began Natsuki, though she didn't manage to finish her sentence before what felt like a large glass bottle smash against her head. Screaming as she fell back, Natsuki now looked at her shitfaced father holding his emptied bottle of alcohol, wielding it like a weapon, as he approached her. "P-P-Papa…?!"

"I gave up so much for ya, kid!" exclaimed the man, shakily approaching his daughter with his alcohol bottle in his grip, nearly stumbling over his own two feet as he did. The man didn't care if he had just struck his daughter with a beer bottle, or that he had caused blood to ooze from her new forehead wound. He was too shitfaced to do so, and if anything, if he wasn't drunk, Natsuki doubt that he would be any gentler. "And whaddya do, kid?! Ya simply _take _shit _away _from me! First ya took away mah wife! Then… that big fancy robot! The least you could do was follow my instructions! But _nooooooo_, you never listen, now do ya?!"

By then, Natsuki, driven by fear and adrenaline, managed to crawl away to the backdoor of her house. Swiftly, she shakily stood up, a hand clutching her bloodied forehead while the other grabbed the doorknob and tore it open. She wasted no time in scrambling out. Her head injury, however, was a bit more severe than she had expected, as it caused her vision to blur, causing the pink haired girl to stumble onto the ground, just in time to see her father approaching her.

"Come back here, kid!" exclaimed the drunk man, propping himself up against the backdoor frame to steady himself. "Your mother never disciplined you properly before she died, so lemme do her a solid and discipline you myself!"

Squealing in fear as blood oozed from the small wound on her forehead, Natsuki crawled into the backyard of her house, quite literally fearing for her life as her father approached her on wobbly feet. Tears streamed down her face as he did, though just before her father could reach her, the girl was scooped up into a metal hand… and it was then when she realized that her Titan existed.

"_S-Scorch_…" muttered Natsuki as the Titan lifted her up, out of the reach of her father, and rested her on his shoulder. The Titan, however, didn't seem keen on replying properly as he ripped the Thermite Launcher off his waist and aimed it at Natsuki's father, who actually did back up ever so slightly.

"Oh, so that's how it is, huh?!" exclaimed the man, pointing the beer bottle at Natsuki. "You send your robot to kill me when you have no use for me, eh?! Well go on then, kill me right here, right now! You lil' ungrateful bitch!"

Natsuki herself bit her lip as she cried, the harsh words of her father, while not exactly new to her, managing to sting her immensely. _Scorch_, on the other hand, kept his focus on the apparent blood relative of his pilot.

"**Pilot Natsuki, this man has attempted to bring harm and potentially end your life, a breach of Protocol 3. Shall I terminate him?" **asked _Scorch_, his grip on the Thermite Launcher noticeably tightening. The man noticeably widened his eyes and stepped back in fear at that, apparently not expecting the Titan to be so willing to exterminate him, and Natsuki, despite wanting to say yes… couldn't. She couldn't just say yes to killing her own father… and so, she grit her teeth and forced herself to respond with a lie.

"...no…" she muttered. _Scorch_, however kept the barrel of the Thermite Launcher trained on her father for a little longer, and both Natsuki and her pappy thought that he would fire. The slight movements of the Titan, such as the way he was fingering the trigger, seemingly eager to pull it back and discharge the Thermite shot within to obliterate Natsuki's father, or how he gripped the barrel of the weapon tighter than usual, were clear signs that the Titan was willing to end the life of the man who claimed to be his Pilot's blood relative. Though in the end… he complied, holstering the gun on his waist as he expelled excess heat from his vents.

"**... affirmative," **was all the OS could say as Natsuki's father headed back inside the house, not wishing to tempt fate by sticking around. Once he was gone, _Scorch_ immediately sat Natsuki on his palm and checked on her. **"Your forehead has been wounded with a blunt object and is bleeding profusely. Scanning… you are lucky. There is no internal damage, but if you do not stop the bleeding, you could potentially perish from blood loss. Recommendation: stop the bleeding with a clean item, preferably a piece of cloth." **

"Y-Yeah… you don't need to boss me around, _Scorch_…" responded Natsuki as she pulled a handkerchief out of thin air and pressed it firmly against her bleeding forehead. _Scorch _watched intently as she did, and somehow Natsuki thought that he was frowning even though he had no mouth. "Yo… _Scorch_?"

"**Yes, Pilot Natsuki?" **responded _Scorch_.

"Thanks… for the save back there…" thanked Natsuki with a sad smile as she removed her handkerchief, staring at it with a grimace as she saw how red it had become, and _Scorch _nodded his monoeye in response to her thanking him.

"**I was simply…" **began _Scorch_, intending to bring up his Protocols… only to stop himself. His systems told him that it was a terrible idea… so he gave a different reply. **"...doing what anyone else would."**

Natsuki promptly looked at him with a questioning expression, though she gave a smirk before nodding. "For a massive _Gundam_-esc Mecha, you sometimes strike me as more human than machine, y'know?"

"**Correction: **_**Gundams**_** are a type of fictional war machine from Japan, made by several companies in the fictional universes such as the Universal Century and Post-War Timeline, examples being the E.F.S.F or Gjallarhorn. I am a Titan reproduced by Hammond Robotics, a real robot, as many call me, that is incapable of aerial combat. Of the Seven Official Hammond Robotic Titans, only the **_**Northstar **_**is capable of flight, and even then extended periods of flight require many modifications to the chassis of the **_**Northstar**_** which…" **

"Aaaaaaand you ruined it," was what Natsuki said, cutting _Scorch_ off as she snickered, her Titan's unexpectedly long reply catching her off guard and causing her to unintentionally forget about her recent issue as her Titan nodded his monoeye.

"**Acknowledged. Saving ruined moment into my memory drives," **responded _Scorch_, and Natsuki snickered ever so slightly once more.

"Funny, _Scorch_. You're real funny," giggled Natsuki, and her response from _Scorch _surprised her.

"**Apparently I am."**

After giving a smile, Natsuki found herself yawning ever so slightly. Noticing that, _Scorch _popped his cockpit open and moved the hand unit that Natsuki sat on close to it to allow his Pilot to embark.

"**With the current state of your father, it would be best for you to spend the night in the cockpit," **suggested _Scorch_. **"It is ensure your safety and to uphold Protocol 3."**

Natsuki wasn't willing to argue at that point as she moved in and sat on the cockpit seat. The cockpit wasn't excessively hot. It felt rather cooling, if anything, though the cupcake smell was still present. With her small frame, Natsuki had little issue with positioning herself into a comfortable manner.

And there she sat, hugging her knees as she felt her consciousness fade. _Scorch_ did consider putting a lullaby on his built in radio, though he thought better of it.

* * *

_Natsuki could only widen her eyes when she saw the sight before her. Her mother… lying on the intersection of a road that was not too far from her home. Her mother had her neck snapped in an unnatural position, with her eyes wide and staring at nothing. The one who had struck her had exited his car and was desperately checking to see if she was alright, though she was not breathing… _

_He was not the only one who was checking on the woman, however. There was also another person… a child, one who had inherited the pink hair and eyes of her mother… and Natsuki immediately recognised the girl as herself, simply younger. Her eyes were filled with tears as she shook the shoulder of her deceased mother, ignoring everything that was around her. At that one point in time, the younger Natsuki only cared about the body of her mother… _

"_M-Mummy… mummy…!" exclaimed the younger Natsuki as she cried her eyes out, her mouth contorted into a grimace as she shook her mother's body. With a shaky hand, Natsuki approached her younger self, wishing to perhaps comfort the child… only for her hand to pass straight through her younger self's body, with the only thing she felt as her hand phased through her being a vague, misty sensation. _

"_What the…" muttered Natsuki, retracting her hand as she raised a brow. The girl attempted to place her hand on her younger self's shoulder once more… only to get the same result. "The Hell's going on?"_

_Right as she asked that, Natsuki gasped as the entire world turned black for a split second. Once said split second was up, Natsuki found herself standing in a different location._

_Now, instead of standing in an intersection, staring at her younger self weeping over the body of her mother, Natsuki realized that she was now standing in a hospital room. The only occupant of the room was a six year old child… a six year old Natsuki sitting on a hospital bed, bandaged on several parts of her body as she stared at nothing. Biting her bottom lip, Natsuki approached her younger self and stared at her. _

_Her younger self looked so… broken, with that blank look in her eyes, both of which appearing to be red and puffy from crying. Natsuki herself slouched ever so slightly when she felt some guilt churn around in her stomach, triggered by the sight of her younger self sitting there, emotionless. _

'It was my fault…' _thought Natsuki, gritting her teeth as she felt her eyes go glassy. _'If I never asked mummy about the bakery, she would've been fine… it's my fault… **my fault**…'

"_Yes, it __**is **__your fault," agreed a voice… __**her **__voice, prompting Natsuki to widen her eyes and turn to face her younger self, sitting on the hospital bed. She was now staring at her older self, frowning as her eyes shone with accusation. The older Natsuki stepped back with wide eyes as her younger self acknowledged her for the first time. "Why did you ask mummy to go?"_

"_Why, Natsuki?" _

_That voice echoed in Natsuki's mind as she stepped back. Natsuki quickly blank, only to find herself in her room, though she wasn't alone. She was in the room with her young, six year old self, who was staring up at the older Natsuki with an accusing expression. _

"_Why did you ask mummy to go? If you didn't, she would still be alive!"_

_Natsuki knew that… if she didn't request that, her mother would have most still be alive… _

"_You're such a brat, Natsuki!" _

_The guilt welled up in the older Natsuki's chest as she stepped back, tears erupting from her eyes as she held her hands close to her chest. _

"_A brat that only __**takes**__ and never cares for others!"_

_The younger Natsuki's skin slowly began to pale, prompting Natsuki to turn up and stare at her younger self with wide, watery eyes. _

"_You talk down to Yuri because of her preference! Why can't you just respect others, you little __**bitch**__?!" _

_The younger Natsuki began smiling… a smile that looked normal for a short while before stretching out to an abnormal length… _

"_Your father works so hard just for __**you**__! And you repaid him by taking away his wife!"_

_Her eyes began to well up with blood, prompting the older Natsuki to place a hand over her mouth in disgust as her younger self quite literally began crying blood. The girl felt her gag reflexes kick up, though she held it in as her tears streamed down her cheeks. _

"_You know, why don't you just go __**snap**__ and leave everyone alone, you Tsundere wannabe?!" _

_The younger Natsuki's neck forcefully swung to the left. And the older Natsuki widened her eyes immensely when she heard her younger self break her own neck. _

"_After all, it'd make everyone so much happier…" _

_And at that, the younger Natsuki rushed straight at her older self, causing her to scream out in terror… _

* * *

"**Natsuki!"**

Screaming as she shot up, Natsuki nearly smacked the top of her head against the cockpit of her Titan. Breathing heavily, the pink haired child placed a hand on the side of the cockpit and the other over her chest. Eyes wide and forehead slick with sweat, she felt tears slide down her cheeks as she took in her surroundings.

"**Natsuki, your heart rate has exceeded 110.1 beats per minute," **informed _Scorch_ in a surprisingly worried tone. **"It is a 41.9% increase… you were experiencing a nightmare." **

A nightmare… he was right. What was that…? Natsuki had several nightmares in her past, but she never had something as bad as this. It was enough to make her ball up and bawl into her knees, with _Scorch _staying silent as she did.

"**Natsuki… if you wish to unwind, I am here," **assured her Titan in a rather calming tone. He got no response from Natsuki, so he didn't press the issue as he knew that he would be unable to change her mind. However, she did respond to him, something that shocked his systems ever so slightly.

"It's my fault, _Scorch_…" was what Natsuki responded with, her voice sounding shockingly devoid of life as she spoke. Despite wishing to bring it up, however, _Scorch _stayed respectfully silent as he listened to her. "Everything that happened that day was all my fault… it was my fault that mummy died… my fault that papa is the way he is now… if I didn't ask her to go to that bakery…"

"**Negative," **was her immediate response from _Scorch_, who was having none of her self deprecation. **"Accessing memory log 32. According to the log, your both your father and myself were meant to escort you and your mother to the bakery. Your father refused to do so while I was given a Protocol 2 by you yourself: stay behind and protect your father from the 'bad people'." **

"...if I didn't give you that order, maybe-"

"**Negative. You would not have known what happened. Even if I had followed, your mother could have been KIA even with my overwatch." **

"Well, what are the chances?" muttered Natsuki with a frown.

"**Calculating… the chances are 13.231299170946209%." **

"That's… pretty low…" pointed out the girl, only for _Scorch _to let out a mechanical groan that made Natsuki squeak.

"**Low, but the chance is still there. Conclusion: the fault is not yours, Natsuki. I should have enforced Protocol 3 and escort you and your mother to the bakery, and your father should have upheld his duties as your parental figure." **

"But… I probably made papa's life worse after…" argued Natsuki, slowly running out of arguments as she continued.

"**Negative," **was _Scorch's _immediate response.** "Your father never contributed to your family even when your mother was still alive. Reviewing memory files 12 through 93… your father had never left the residential complex to acquire a job for the past 6342 days. Your mother was the one who worked and provided a steady income for the household through a majority of your life.**

"B-B-But…" started Natsuki doing her best to find another argument. _Scorch_, however, decided to enforce Protocol 3 and spoke up before she could find one.

"**That is enough, Natsuki," **was what _Scorch _had said to cut his Pilot off. His OS sounded a little more strained than it usually was, and the sudden change in tone was enough to silence Natsuki as her Titan spoke. **"This tragedy was completely out of your control. Please… you must come to accept this. Your father has never done anything to assure this to you, so as a way to uphold Protocol 3, I shall do so in his place." **

There was no response from Natsuki as she hugged her knees much tighter, frowning as she curled up into a ball in her Titan's cockpit. Odd… her Titan acted more like her father than her actual flesh and blood relative did, and it made her think a little before replying.

"_Scorch_… why do you care this much about me…?" asked Natsuki uncertainty. Her Titan's vents groaned ever so slightly when she asked that. "I mean… you're pretty cool and protective… if anything you'd be better with Sayori, what with her being so… big brother-esc?"

"**Natsuki, not only would me abandoning you be a breach of Protocol 3, but to do so would be mean that I had knowingly left a child to be beaten and starved by her only parental figure. While I am unable to do much to solve your malnourishment, I am capable of limiting the physical damage he could potentially inflict on you," **was the response from _Scorch_.

"That… was a pretty deep response from you, of all people… or mech, I guess…?" muttered Natsuki thoughtfully as she allowed a small smile to grace her initially saddened face. "It almost makes me think you're an actual dude with emotions and all that."

"**I am unable to process emotion in the same manner as humans," **pointed out _Scorch_. **"But I can replicate them. The upholding of Protocol 3 requires that I understand and learn about the emotions of humans and use my acquired knowlede to comfort them whenever required. As such, I suppose that me acting more 'human' than you would expect is to be expected."**

"Man, this Hammond Robotics company really put quite a lot of effort into you Titans," muttered Natsuki with a smirk.

"**Correct. Hammond Robotics developed all Titan units to possess several personality traits that allow us to strengthen the bonds with a Pilot." **

"Well, it's working so far," said Natsuki with a smile as she patted the side of her Titan's cockpit. "You're acting more like my dad than my dad does for crying out loud!"

"**Acknowledged. Natsuki, do you wish to call me 'Papa?" **

"WHAT?!"

"**... nothing." **

And with that Natsuki didn't say much, frankly quite dumbstruck by that inquiry _Scorch_ had given her, while her Titan stayed silent. The awkward silence was eventually broken when Natsuki cleared her throat, catching the attention of her Titan.

"But… is it alright if I called you… Big Brother?" inquired Natsuki, tapping her fingers against one another in an awkward manner as she asked.

"**I hold no objections, Natsuki. To do so would be more appropriate than calling me your father. Even so, I was constructed approximately one year after you were born, and as such, I believe that the title of 'Little Brother' would be more appropriate." **

"Look, don't be so serious about everything, Onii-Chan!" complained Natsuki, crossing her arms as she pouted. "Just go with it!"

"**Understood. Inquiry: the term Onii-Chan is the Japanese Equivalent of 'Big Brother'. As you choose to refer to my new title in that language, shall I do the same?" **

"Just call me Natsuki!" was his simply response from the baker, who pouted ever so slightly. "Jeez, you don't need to over analyze everything."

"**Acknowledged. Conclusion: I should be more like you, Natsuki. You speak bluntly and sometimes without thinking, often to rebuttal the argument of you being **_**cute**_** and-" **

"THAT'S BECAUSE I'M NOT CUTE!" roared the loli, causing her Titan to pause. For a moment, they stayed silent, only for Natsuki to turn red out of embarrassment. "I… I'm sorry for that…"

"**Do not worry about it. You have experienced quite a lot today. Perhaps you should rest now, Natsuki. You still have a meeting with 'Anon' scheduled tomorrow, after all," **suggested _Scorch_. Natsuki simply nodded in response as she leaned back against the cockpit, yawning as she felt her eyelids droop.

"Yo… Onii-Chan?" muttered Natsuki as she drifted off to sleep.

"**Yes, Natsuki?" **

"Goodnight…"

"**Sweet dreams."**

* * *

**Mission: Protect Natsuki**

**New title has been acquired: Big Brother, called 'Onii-Chan' by Pilot**

**New Protocol 2: act as Natsuki's Big Brother**

**Error: chassis size prevents me from entering the confines of Natsuki's house and provide emotional support, which is the job of a Big Brother. The presence of her father also poses a threat to Protocol 2**

**Solution: inform other Literature Club members about Natsuki's problem**

**Error: to tell them would be a breach of trust. Trust is necessary when attempting to maintain a steady relationship with a Pilot. **

**New solution: watch over Natsuki closely. If she is confronted by her father in a threatening manner, any method shall be used in order to uphold Protocols 2 and 3. **

**Searching for keyword: Papa**

…

…

…

**Several memories located. Reviewing records… **

…

…

…

**Review concluded.**

**Conclusion: Natsuki's father is a [REDACTED]**

**Solution: alert the local authorities in order to uphold Protocols 2 and 3 as soon as possible**

**Warning: Natsuki is still struggling with being called cute **

**Solution: working on it**

**Personal opinion: Natsuki is cute **

* * *

**As you can see, I have updated. **

**Unlike Chapter 1, Chapter 2 was quite a challenge to write. I do related to Sayori quite a bit thanks to general sadness… though I've never had any experience with abusive parents. If anything, I love my parents to death, so this chapter was rather… interesting to write. **

**Even so, I hope you guys enjoy the end result. Scorch being the Onii-Chan of Natsuki sounds rather odd, but hey, this is a crack fiction so let me have my fun please…? **

**Now, we have Sayori/Ion and Natsuki/Scorch both done. We only have Yuri and Monika left for the chopping board. Place your votes now! Who shall be partnered with Miss Yuri?! Stryder Type Titan, Ronin, or Vanguard Type Titan, Monarch?! **

**ONTO THE REVIEWS **

* * *

**Fortress Hunter: such is the life of a writer, I suppose. And I feel the same, mah dude. The girls are all… off in their own unique ways. Especially that Yuri lass. **

**ZombieSlayers: thanks for that compliment, and here's the next chapter**

* * *

**I wish I had stuck with the idea of making this a nonsensical Crack Fiction that I wouldn't put much effort into. **

**See you next time!**


	3. Broadsword Enthusiast

Doing her best to ignore the mild aching sensation in her back, _Yuri_ exited the school she attended alongside her fellow Literature Club members. The day was an intriguing one to say the least, with Sayori informing them that she'd be bringing/dragging a potential new member for the club, something that excited the other three members.

As they exited the front gates of school, Monika instructed them to prepare for their new potential club member the following day. Both Natsuki and Yuri nodded in response while Sayori, as bubbly as she usually was, promised that this 'Anon' boy would be here herself already knew what she wanted to do to welcome the potential newcomer, but Yuri herself was indecisive on what she should do to welcome this 'Anon'.

Perhaps she should get him a book? No… what if Anon didn't like what she chose for him? Hmm, how about a poem… no… nonono… her poems were not good enough to convince a person to stay. If anything, she could potentially drive him away with her horrendous writing style and the way she wrote.

Yuri herself was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she was unable to respond when Sayori, Monika and Natsuki said their goodbyes and the group parted ways, her hands absentmindedly fiddling with one of her bangs as she walked towards her house. Her mind was fixated on how she would welcome Anon… so much so that she almost walked right onto various lampposts on several occasions.

For a large amount of her walk home, Yuri's mind was preoccupied with her various ideas of welcoming a potential new club member. So it came as no surprise that as soon as a loud yet calm voice, one that was familiar to her, rang out, the girl squeaked in terror.

"**Welcome back Pilot,"** said the calm as soon as Yuri walked past the outer corner of her house fence. Yelling out in terror, Yuri assumed a rather comical defensive pose as she whirled to the side, only to calm down when she saw that the speaker was none other than her personal Titan unit, _Ronin_.

"A-Ah… _Ronin_," greeted Yuri with a sheepish smile, scratching her cheek awkwardly as she stared at her Titan, who simply knelt down beside her house. His smaller, _Stryder _based Titan frame allowed it to do as such, as it did not take up as much space as, say, the _Ogre _or _Atlas _based units. _Ronin's _singular, rectangular mono-optic was locked onto Yuri, and if she focused she could barely make out the Leadwall shotgun and _Ronin _Broadsword holstered/sheathed on the back of his waist and backpack, respectively.

"**Your chemical makeup suggests that you are agitated," **informed _Ronin_ as Yuri began walking towards her house door. The word 'agitated' left the Titan's speakers right as Yuri was reaching for her key, and hearing it made the girl freeze up. **"As a way to uphold Protocol 3, I insist on knowing why." **

"T-There's no reason for it!" was _Ronin's _immediate answer from Yuri, who chuckled ever so slightly as she fished her house key from inside her blazer and unlocked her front door. However, she knew that response wouldn't satisfy her Titan.

"**Your heart rate is speeding up," **informed _Ronin_, confirming her suspicions as Yuri turned to see that her unit was now staring at her through her kitchen window as placed her bag atop her living room sofa, and as soon as it dropped onto its surface, she froze.

"P-Perhaps your sensors are faulty…?" suggested Yuri sheepishly as a last resort, one that was completely deflected by her unit.

"**Impossible. Stryder based Titans are made with the best sensors Hammond Industries has to offer. Even if they were faulty, they would not be able to incorrectly mislabel the heart rate of a Titan's pilot,"** informed _Ronin_, his singular monoeye narrowing as he spoke. **"As a way to uphold Protocol 3, I request a reason as to why you feel as such." **

"C-Can we talk about this later…? I'd feel better after a… shower," requested Yuri, defeated as she slouched her shoulders. _Ronin_ gave a mechanical groan from outside her house before standing himself up, the pistons in his chassis shifting noisily as he did.

"**Affirmative. I shall await your return from 'the shower',"** informed_ Ronin _as he marched over and knelt down in Yuri's backyard, seeming rather patient as the young, purple haired girl sighed in defeat.

"Y-Yes… I'll see you."

* * *

Yuri's bathroom wasn't too spectacular. If anything, it was probably as generic as it could get.

With a single shower, a sink, a mirror-cabinet and a toilet, Yuri's bathroom was just that. A bathroom.

As soon as she stepped in, Yuri undressed herself. It wasn't much of an ordeal… at least until she had to tug her blazer off. Wincing as she slowly pulled it off her shoulders, the girl bit her lower lip to keep herself from moaning in pain as the sleeve rubbed against her forearm.

Once her blazer was off, Yuri winced as her eyes locked onto her forearms. One would expect them to be smooth, with no imperfections on them, though in reality, it was quite literally the opposite. Slash marks adorned her forearms, marks that were inflicted by none other than Yuri herself as a way to release her pent up emotions.

Every day, the girl would stand in her shower as the water poured down onto her and simply stare at her forearms, wondering why she was this way.

In truth, Yuri was a mess. She was a mix bag of contradicting emotions, to say the least. Desperate to be liked yet quick to push others away, dreaming to be at the top yet being both figuratively and literally afraid of heights, passionate about learning yet disinterested in remembering anything important…

She was just so… _different_ from everyone else. Even without herself being an oddball of contradictions, her odd habit of collecting knives and what she enjoyed doing with them was enough reason for her to think as such, and the young woman could only frown at the thought of this 'Anon' person finding out about her unhealthy hobby.

Perhaps they would dislike her for that? Perhaps they would be completely put off by her obsession and refuse to join the club? Or perhaps they wouldn't care at all? All those scenarios and much, much more popped up in Yuri's mind as she stood under her shower, allowing the warm water to wash over her body as her mind leapt from one thought to another.

And suddenly…

"**Pilot. Your chemical makeup is a cause for worry," **came _Ronin's _OS, somewhat muffled thanks to the fact that he was outside but still audible. Upon hearing it, Yuri widened her eyes and blank, snapping herself out of her trance as she shook her head. **"Do you require aid? If you do, I shall contact-" **

"N-No need, _Ronin_!" was her Titan's immediate response from Yuri. "I'll be out soon!"

"**Understood. Resuming Protocol 2, Uphold the Mission,"** replied _Ronin_, and Yuri could just barely hear the sound of her Titan magnetically attaching its Broadsword onto its back as he knelt down in her backyard.

'_Perhaps it is best to not keep him waiting…' _thought Yuri as she grabbed a bottle of shampoo. Staring at it for a moment, the young woman sighed deeply as she began washing herself, and, regrettably, she found that the stinging sensation of soup making contact with her exposed slash wounds was still very exhilarating.

* * *

By the time his Pilot had walked out into the backyard, _Ronin_ had already entered his 'sleep mode'. His monoeye was dimmed, and his systems were operating at their lowest.

Yuri, now dressed in her usual homewear, a rather poofy, long sleeved shirt and a worryingly tight pair of pants, was hesitant to speak up, thinking that she would end up 'waking him' up, something she considered to be rude, though thankfully for her, her unit's optic lit up as soon as she was about five metres away from him, and before long the _Stryder _frame to turn up to stare at her.

"**Pilot Yuri," **greeted _Ronin_ as Yuri adjusted a handful of her bangs, unsure on how she should respond to such a simple greeting. Thankfully, _Ronin_ didn't leave her hanging. **"You have returned from your mission."**

"M-Mission…?" muttered Yuri, baffled by her Titan's knowledge in regards to her daily activities not being missions. Opening her mouth, she felt herself ready to correct _Ronin_, though she stopped herself and gave a mild nod. "Erm… y-yes… I have returned from… my mission…"

"**I am to assume that it was successful," **inquired _Ronin_, lowering a hand unit down to his pilot. Yuri blank at it before she gingerly lifted a foot onto her Titan's manipulator, smiling ever so slightly as the seams of her Titan's cockpit released a burst of steam before swinging open.

As gently as he could, her Titan placed his Pilot into his cockpit, though he kept the hatch open, something Yuri usually requested him to do whenever she decided to sit inside him to get her mind off things. At first, she needed to constantly remind _Ronin _to keep his cockpit hatch open, though as time went on, it became a normal thing for the _Stryder _unit to keep the hatch open while Yuri relaxed in his cockpit.

Part of the reason as to why she requested for the hatch to remain open was because the cockpit of her particular unit was… uncomfortable to sit in, to say the least. The _Ronin _was most certainly not a unit made for people such as herself. Constructed primarily for combat, specifically employing hit and run tactics, the _Stryder _frame's cockpit was designed to be as compact as possible in order to minimise the unit's weight.

Rather unfortunately, the compactness of her unit's cockpit meant that it wasn't exactly comfortable for someone who wished to simply sit in it and read a good book, IE someone like Yuri.

In order to perhaps remedy that one issue, Yuri, with permission from _Ronin_, ended up filling his cockpit with several pillows which did kinda make it feel a little more comfortable. From time to time she even placed a handful of scented candles into his cockpit to perhaps fight off the smell of his Batteries. It didn't work completely, per say, though it did help, and _Ronin_ didn't seem to mind having his cockpit be stuffed with more things than he was probably used to.

As soon as she was situated in a comfortable position in her Titan's cockpit, and after taking in a deep breath, Yuri braced herself for what was to come…

"**Pilot Yuri," **began _Ronin_.

"Yes, _Ronin_?" replied Yuri, having guessed what he was about to ask.

"**How was your day?" **continued _Ronin_, and Yuri had to pause for a brief moment before she replied. Strange… _Ronin_ never asked that before today. Blinking back her surprise, Yuri gave a small smile as she hugged her knees up to her chest.

"It was… eventful," responded Yuri with a nod, internally chuckling at how Sayori informed the club about the possibility of this 'Anon' boy visiting and possibly joining the club. "Sayori told us that we might get a visitor to the club…"

"**Intriguing. This visitor is her friend, Anon, is it not?" **inquired _Ronin_, his response genuinely shocking Yuri as she widened her eyes.

"Y-Yes… how-"

"**According to my database, Pilot Sayori has always had but one close friend, the boy known as Anon. He is not a Pilot, but he is still archived in my database as a trusted individual to the Pilot of IO-4817," **responded _Ronin_, not missing a beat as he explained in full detail. **"Anon is the most likely candidate for Pilot Sayori to bring to the Literature Club, in my opinion."**

"W-Wow… your… sensors are impressive, _Ronin_," complemented a dumbfounded Yuri as she marveled at the processing power of her Titan. In turn, _Ronin_ let some steam out of his vents, perhaps a sign of pride?

"**The Stryder based Titans have always made use of a more advanced internal AI," **responded _Ronin_, and if he were human, he would probably be smirking right about now. **"Ogre and Atlas units both have thicker armour and can withstand the heat of combat, at the cost of a less intricate AI, but Stryder units do not have that luxury and were given more advanced Artificial Intelligence and computing cores in order to compensate." **

"Impressive," muttered Yuri.

"**However, I must ask, does Anon tie into your earlier agitation?" **inquired _Ronin_, and suddenly, Yuri wished that the conversation had ended. **"You are not acquainted with him, and as such, I am to assume that you are nervous about meeting him, are you not?" **

The route this conversation was going towards made Yuri's heart rate speed up.

"**Pilot Yuri, perhaps you think that he will not think highly of you?" **

With each sentence, Yuri felt her breath speed up as her chest began rising and falling much more intensely.

"**Perhaps I may offer some suggestions? I am always here to provide assistance." **

Assistance? Was _Ronin_ looking down on her? That was likely… everyone did that. Who would look up to Yuri? Who… _who_… _**WHO**_?!

"**Pilot Yuri… are you alright?" **

_Ronin, he's not different from everyone else. The other club members didn't care for her. They laugh at her behind her back despite being her apparent friends! How could he… her very own Titan! How could he… how could he…__** HOW COULD HE**__?!_

"**Pilot Yuri? Your heart rate is increasing dramatically." **

_He doesn't care. Nobody cares. They all think they're better than you! They think you're a freak! Even your very own machine has turned on you! It thinks __**you don't matter**__. __**YOU SHOULD SHOW HIM THAT YOU ARE SUPERIO-**_

"**PILOT YURI!"**

With a loud gasp, the girl in question jerked forward at the sudden loud voice of _Ronin_. With wide eyes, she laid a hand against her chest as she calmed herself down. What… was that? She never recalled going through something like that in the past…

"**Pilot Yuri, your heart rate is beginning to settle," **informed _Ronin_, his usually calm OS sounding just a bit stressed as he spoke, a surprise to be sure as Yuri never thought machines to be capable of sounding stressed. **"Are you… well?" **

"I… I'm fine, _Ronin_. Don't worry about it…" assured Yuri, frowning deeply as she calmed herself. "P-Please… I'd like to head inside now…"

Wordlessly, _Ronin_ held up a manipulator and brought his Pilot back down to terra firma. And right as her feet made contact with the ground, she hurried off into her house. Via his built in sensors, _Ronin _could tell that her heart was racing, though not as fast as it was several minutes prior.

At first, he considered calling out to his Pilot, to ask if she was alright, but he reconsidered. Humans were a strange species, and they often had their own ways to deal with issues like these, sometimes dealing with them better when alone. And so, _Ronin _remained quiet as he knelt down in Yuri's backyard, silently awaiting his next order.

However, he did keep his sensors sharp. Past experience had taught him that if his Pilot's adrenaline levels went past a certain point, he would have to confront her.

* * *

It didn't take long for _Ronin's _systems to jumpstart themselves as soon as his pilot's adrenaline levels began skyrocketing.

Acting according to what he was programed to do, _Ronin_ wasted no time in lifting himself up to his full height and ripped the Leadwall Shotgun off his hip. Once his shotgun was firmly in his grasp, _Ronin_ approached his pilot's bedroom window.

"_Ha… hah… ah…~_"

That wasn't good. According to _Ronin's _classified databanks, human females tended to… make those noises during certain times of the year. With that in his hard drive, _Ronin_ slowly began to back away from the window of his pilot, though he quickly realized that even if Yuri was indeed… experiencing that time of the year, her adrenaline levels would not be as high as they currently are.

That, and according to his internal calendar, it wasn't even that time of the year yet.

So, with that in mind, the Titan steeled himself for a possible scolding before he spoke.

"**Yuri, are you well?" **boomed _Ronin_, and almost immediately, the worrying noises his Pilot had been making began to die down. Her adrenaline levels were slowly dropping as well, though they were still noticeably high. Her heart rate was high enough to be concerning. It was almost as though she was scared of something. **"Yuri, are you well? Your adrenaline levels have spiked tremendously." **

It took his Pilot some time to answer him, and she did so by pulling back her certains, and _Ronin's _internal gears hitched for a moment when he saw how… pale Yuri's face was. Her expression looked rather pleasurable, and it worried _Ronin_.

"_R-Ronin_…?" muttered Yuri, looking ready to pass out at any moment as she spoke. "W-What's wrong…? Did I miss school…?"

"**It is currently six in the evening, Yuri," **informed _Ronin_ as he fixed the gaze of his monoeye directly onto his Pilot, scanning the young woman for any irregularities. **"Your adrenaline levels spiked rather sharply in the last five minutes. I upheld Protocol 3 and investigated. Please explain what caused such a sharp spike in your adrenaline levels." **

"Adrenaline…?" muttered Yuri, sounding sheepishly confused. "I'm just… fine…"

"**Yuri," **began _Ronin_ as his Pilot leaned out the window, nearly toppling out of it if the Titan had not caught her in time. Readying his vocal processors, the _Stryder _frame was ready to ask another question, until he saw a slight glint that came from inside Yuri's bedroom, located under her bed's pillow, barely visible to the human eye.

But not to the optical sensors of a Titan.

With a slight mechanical groan, _Ronin_ popped his cockpit open and sat his Pilot inside it. Ignoring their delirious complaints, the Titan swiftly slammed his cockpit shut before reaching into his Pilot's bedroom, being as careful as he could so as to not break anything, and grabbing the object out from under Yuri's pillow.

Another mechanical groan was emitted by _Ronin_, this one much louder than the one he gave a few moments ago, as he gripped the flat sides of one of the many fancy daggers that his Pilot loved collecting. His Pilot had a love for knives, and the Titan had no doubt in his mind that he was linked to Yuri by Hammond Productions just because of that little fact.

However, while _Ronin_ had no opinion in regards to Yuri collecting knives, he definitely had some very negative ones in regards to her cutting herself with them.

The Titan was well aware of his Pilot's unhealthy obsession with self-harm. He had attempted to counsel them on several occasions, to help them work around this bad habit and learn to love herself for who she was, but it didn't work. It never worked. Yuri was just too stubborn…

_Ronin _was, by all means, a machine that replicated emotions to better connect to a Pilot. He couldn't exactly feel anything… but whenever he saw the slash marks on his Pilot's wrists, whenever he saw the odd smear of red on any one of their knives, the Titan would feel a gear within himself come loose when he would inevitably confronted Yuri about the matter.

Activating an internal cockpit optical sensor, _Ronin _got himself ready to speak to Yuri once more, though before he could, he stopped himself. Yuri was asleep… or perhaps she had passed out from blood loss. Whatever it was, he couldn't say.

What he _could_ say, however, was that Yuri would be worse for wear if he did not do something about her cut as soon as possible.

He knew this was not something he was programmed to do, so the Titan resorted to relying on the only other person whom Yuri trusted to assist in healing his Pilot.

Activating his comm-links, _Ronin_ dialed the number of a certain club leader, and as soon as she responded with a gentle, _"uh… hello?",_ the Titan wasted no time in telling her about the current predicament.

And for her part, Monika wasted no time in boarding her personal Titan unit and sprinting all the way over to Yuri's apartment to help her with her injuries.

* * *

_There was once a young woman who loved the spotlight._

_She was beauty itself, graceful and polite. Always quick to respond and never without a complement. _

_However, she, like many others, hid a terrible secret. She hated herself, she hated how she looked, and thus she attempted to cover up all her apparent ugliness with everything she had at her disposal. _

_Makeup, fancy dresses, hair dye, she used it all. And yet, she was never good enough. The few who knew about her insecurities tried to console her, though it never worked. She was imperfect. A travesty that did nothing but annoy others whom she considered too kind to tell her to leave. _

_Then, he came along. A young gentleman from the East with a cold gaze and a voice that spoke only the truth. Wordlessly, he approached the woman one day and seized her hand. Shocked at his sudden appearance, the woman remained silent as the young gentleman spoke what he considered to be the truth… _

_He said… _

* * *

"**Yuri, are you alright?" **

Gasping as she shot her eyes open, Yuri immediately sat herself upright and took in her surroundings.

And not long after, she realized that she was now in her bedroom, with _Ronin_ staring at her through her bedroom window. At first, she was about to ask him what was going on, but she quickly realized how late it was.

"_R-Ronin_…! I… must have-" began Yuri, only for her Titan to cut her off.

"**No, Yuri. You did not fall asleep," **replied _Ronin_, and Yuri couldn't help but notice the underlying anger that was buried just below the calm demeanor of her unit's OS. **"You… **_**injured **_**yourself once more…" **

And that was when Yuri remembered what she did. Swiftly, she rolled up the sleeve of her puffy shirt, only to frown deeply when she saw that her forearm was wrapped up with bandages. Said bandages were rather soft… and only one person she knew had bandages like this.

"**Pilot Monika arrived to assist me in bandaging you roughly three hours ago. She left at approximately 08.15PM, 12 hour clock time. It is now 09.32PM," **informed _Ronin_, his voice still firm as he spoke. His Pilot couldn't do much more than look away guiltily as he spoke, prompting the Titan to continue. **"Yuri, I wish to know why you continue to do such a thing."**

No response. Yuri simply rubbed her bandaged forearm as she bit her bottom lip.

"**Yuri, I wish to know why… why would you bring harm upon yourself?" **continued _Ronin_, his OS sounding more emotional than it usually was.

His Pilot still offered no response as a tear slid down her cheek.

"**Please, I promise to not tell anyone about this information, Yuri." **

His voice was starting to hurt her head…

"**Yuri…" **

"Why would you care?!"

The Titan felt a jolt go through his systems as his Pilot responded to him in an aggressive manner, prompting him to step back ever so slightly as he fixed his monoeye onto Yuri, who was keen on continuing.

"Why would you care… it doesn't matter how hard I try, _Ronin_!" continued Yuri as tears streamed down her face. Her tone of voice was noticeably strained, and _Ronin _couldn't do much more than listen solemnly as his pilot vented out all her frustrations onto him. "It doesn't matter how hard I try… no one ever takes my opinion seriously! My work is always thought to be the work of a teenager going through their edgy phase, especially by Natsuki, and people only turn to stare at me because…"

Pausing for a moment, Yuri wiped some of her tears off her cheek with her sleeve before continuing, her voice a little calmer but her tone still noticeably strained. "... because of my chest. The other girls probably just tolerate me because they're too kind to give me the boot… Monika's an amazing club president… Sayori's a natural vice-president… and Natsuki's interests in manga makes her more approachable… I'm literally a nobody, even among like minded individuals in the Literature Club!

"There! Now you know, _Ronin_! Now you know how petty I am… I'm just a coward who only has one way of releasing all my pent up frustrations! That's the reason as to why I do…" Yuri paused to lift her bandaged forearm up. "_This_! Go ahead, laugh if you want… or you can just find another Pilot… I'm sure it'll be easier to do that than to put up with me…"

As soon as she finished, the young woman began bawling into her hands, letting all her pent up frustrations loose as her Titan processed all that information.

And right as he finished doing so, the _Stryder _frame inched one of his digits through her window and towards his Pilot. With an amount of gentleness that seemed impossible for a Titan, _Ronin_ gently rubbed his digit against her cheek. Blinking at that unexpected gesture, Yuri turned up and stared at her Titan, who looked as passive as ever, though there was an oddly positive aura around him now.

"_Ronin_…?"

"**Yuri, your worries are unfounded," **responded _Ronin_ solemnly as he gingerly sat Yuri down onto his palm and pulled her out of her bedroom. Yuri allowed him to do so, and she did admittedly gape at the starry night as soon as she was outside. Her Titan stayed silent for a brief moment as she did before continuing. **"You say that your work has gone unappreciated, but I sincerely doubt that it has." **

"How-"

"**I conversed with Unit SC-1525, Titan Unit **_**Scorch**_**, and Unit IO-4817, Titan Unit **_**Ion**_**, in regards to their Pilots views on you," **continued _Ronin_, effectively cutting his Pilot off with his buttery voice. **"Pilot Natsuki seems to have at least some respect for your work. **_**Scorch**_** informed me that she thought your work in regards to the previous Festival was phenomenal, and Sayori spoke that your breasts are-" **

Almost immediately, Yuri silenced _Ronin_ before he could finish that sentence. The Titan complied, though he still continued on with his next point.

"**Pilot Monika has also told me that your efforts in the Literature Club is but one of the many things that help keep the club together," **continued _Ronin_. **"Natsuki, and by some extent, a handful of your other schoolmates, simply do not know how to interpret your intriguing work. Not everyone can look into every last word on a slip of paper as well as you can, nor can they appreciate the underlying abstract story of **_**Portrait of Markov**_** as much as you can, after all."**

Upon hearing his assuring words, Yuri found herself calming down ever so slightly as she allowed them to settle in. And, within a handful of seconds, she allowed a gentle smile to make its way onto her lips.

"Is… that so?" she muttered.

"**Indeed. You may not know it, but you have always been an invaluable asset to the Literature Club," **responded _Ronin_. **"And I couldn't ask for a better Pilot." **

"I… but what about…" muttered Yuri, a little taken aback by that as she fumbled over her words.

"**Though your habits are… unsavoury, I do not think any less of you for them," **assured _Ronin_. **"You are my Pilot, Yuri. No matter what course of action you take, no matter what path you walk down, I shall be by your side until my Power Core is destroyed."**

For a brief moment, Yuri found herself speechless. Though _Ronin_ was probably only saying this to uphold Protocol 3, something about his delivery still made her feel… warm. It reassured her that she would always have someone by her side… someone who would watch her back even in the darkest of times, and it was enough to make her heart skip a few beats. Before long, however, she allowed herself to smile as she nodded. "Thank you, _Ronin_, for your kind words."

"**Anytime, Yuri," **assured _Ronin_. And with those words uttered, both Yuri and her Titan stayed awkwardly silent, with the former feeling rather unsure on how she should respond whilst the latter waited patiently… at least until the latter spoke up. **"Yuri, a suggestion: you still have a spare copy of a **_**Portrait of Markov**_**, yes?" **

"Y-Yes… I do…" confirmed Yuri with a nod. "Why-"

"**I am in no place to judge, but perhaps this Anon child would be interested in it as well?" **suggested _Ronin_. **"You have no need for it, yes? Perhaps you could give it to him as a welcome gift?" **

"... why didn't I think of that?" was the only thing Yuri could say after a short while of silence. And, if he could, _Ronin_ would have chuckled.

"**Humans have a tendency to miss obvious answers when they are under a momentous amount of stress," **informed _Ronin_. **"You were not in the right mind, Yuri, and you overlooked an answer which was right in front of you." **

"Ah…" muttered Yuri, sounding somewhat awkward as _Ronin_ eyed her with his optic. "Well… you always were the more level headed one, at least between you and me."

"**That statement is flawed. A machine such as myself is also capable of losing their cool," **informed _Ronin _as Yuri began standing herself up. Once she was on her feet, she approached her desk. **"Titans were created as thinking machines. We learn and adapt to human emotions, and theoretically, it is possible for us to 'lose our cool'." **

"I see…" muttered Yuri, smiling as she regarded _Ronin_ for a brief moment before she began searching for her spare copy of _Portrait of Markov_. "For a machine, you are very human…"

"**It was logical. The bond between a Titan and their Pilot called for such a design," **replied _Ronin_ as his pilot finally found her spare book, prompting her to smile victoriously. **"In order to uphold Protocol 3, I must learn and replicate human emotions and calm you down whenever necessary." **

"I… see," muttered Yuri, frowning as she slid her book into her bag. Once that was done, she moved to take a seat on her bed, staring out her bedroom window at _Ronin_, who remained respectfully silent. "But… something about you tells me that you're not completely bound by protocol, _Ronin_."

"**May you elaborate, Yuri?"** insisted _Ronin_, prompting the girl in question to smile.

"You say that you must follow the protocols set out by this 'Hammond Productions', and yet, I believe that a handful of the things that you have done for me were self decided," responded Yuri as she extended an arm out of her bedroom window and rested her hand up against the cool metal chassis of her Titan. "You are not completely bound by protocol. In some ways, you have a soul, just like us, _Ronin_."

"**I…" **began _Ronin_, only to stop himself. And, for a brief moment, the Titan went silent as he went through what she just said.

* * *

**Mission: Protect Yuri**

**Obstacle: Pilot is obsessed with self harm**

**Solution: yet to be discovered**

**Error: contradicting data has been processed**

**Processing data… **

…

…

…

**Data processed**

**Contradiction: is it possible for a machine to possess a soul?**

**Define: soul**

…

…

…

**Definition: the principle of life, feeling, thought and action in humans. **

**Rephrase: The soul is the culmination of one's being. **

**Conclusion: a Titan is a soulless machine, and yet, the central AI Core can be compared to a soul. **

**Observation: This conclusion is contradicting.**

**Suggestion: further study is required **

**Sub-Protocol 2: learn about the fundamental nature of a human's soul and compare it to the central AI Core of a Titan. Study both and find possible links between one another. **

**Suggestion: Yuri could provide assistance**

**Agreement: consulting Yuri now**

* * *

Without much warning, _Ronin_ turned his monoeye towards his Pilot, who flinched at the sudden movement as she retracted her arm.

"Ah… _Ronin_, I thought something was wrong," muttered Yuri, smiling sheepishly as she held a hand up to her chest. "You worried me…"

"**My apologies Yuri," **apologised _Ronin_, aiming his monoeye at his Pilot as he spoke. **"I was simply processing some information." **

"Ah! I'm… sorry for interrupting…!" proclaimed Yuri apologetically, only for _Ronin_ to expel some steam from his vents.

"**It is quite alright. In fact, I could use your assistance in processing this information," **assured _Ronin_.

"Oh! How may I help?" was his response from Yuri, who brightened up at the opportunity as she clenched her fists and held them up to her chest.

"**I wish for you to tell me more about a human soul," **responded _Ronin_, and it took Yuri a second or two to process that information.

"I see… oh!"

With those words uttered, Yuri raced towards her desk, nearly tripping along the way, causing her Titan to go on alert for the briefest of moments before calming himself down. For a short while, she began searching around her desk, though she couldn't seem to find what she was looking for.

"I swear I kept my copy here…" muttered Yuri, infuriated as she searched around her desk. Going off on a hunch, _Ronin_ took a step away from Yuri's bedroom window and popped his cockpit hatch open.

"**Yuri, perhaps you are looking for your book, the **_**Portrait of Markov**_**?" **inquired the _Stryder_, and his pilot swiftly turned around and gave a sheepish nod. **"Hm, you left it in my cockpit the last time you had Embarked." **

"I did?!" proclaimed Yuri as she quite literally lunged towards her window, giving _Ronin's _systems a quick shock, though thankfully she didn't leap out of it as she dangled over the edge, staring at her Titan in embarrassment. "I… didn't know…"

"**It is alright, Yuri," **assured _Ronin_. **"I must ask, perhaps you think reading this book will allow me to learn more about the condition of the human soul?" **

"Y-Yes… but if you don't want to…" muttered Yuri uncertainty, only to be cut off by _Ronin _once more.

"**The book titled **_**Portrait of Markov **_**follows a young woman known as (NAME NOT FOUND) as she enters her new neighborhood to reunite with her long lost sister, (NAME NOT FOUND). However, she finds that things are not as they seem as a human experiment prison begins targeting her, and she must choose who to trust," **observed _Ronin_. **"The events of the book push her to her breaking point, tests her both physically and psychologically, and leaves her as a broken mess in the end. She only pulls through due to sheer willpower. Due to the strength of her soul, I am to assume." **

"H-How do you know so much about it?" was all Yuri could ask once _Ronin _was done with his rambling.

"**I overheard you reading it multiple times out loud. I have every detail of the book in my systems by now, enough to read every last word out to you if I so choose to," **informed _Ronin_.

"But that takes away from the charm of reading! To experience the surprises firsthand!" proclaimed Yuri with what appeared to be a pouty expression. _Ronin_ felt an internal hitch in his systems at the sight of that face, though he ignored it before responding.

"**If it pleases you, I am capable of locking away my memories of overhearing you read this book," **informed _Ronin_.

"I wouldn't mind that," confirmed Yuri with a nod as she gave a thumbs up.

"**Hm, I must also request something from you, Pilot,"** continued _Ronin_, his calm OS now sounding rather… sheepish, so to speak. Yuri raised her brow at that.

"What would that be, _Ronin_?" she inquired.

"**As a way to uphold Protocols 1 and 3, I request that you read it to me," **requested _Ronin_. **"It helps us deepen our bond, and if I were to ever get confused or lost along the way, you, who has more experience with the book, may help steer me back on track." **

"I… uh… don't have a problem with that…" muttered Yuri, smiling sheepishly at her Titan as she scratched the back of her head. Before she could say anything else, however, the busty young woman let out a yawn and rubbed her bandaged forearms. "B-But… not now…"

"**Understood, Yuri. The hour is late, and you still have lessons and club activities tomorrow. Now is the time for rest," **agreed _Ronin _with a bob/nod of his cockpit/torso/head. And, with that said, Yuri laid herself down on her bed and promptly fell asleep.

From the outside of her window, _Ronin's _singular monoeye narrowed when he saw that his Pilot did not have her blanket over her. As a way to uphold Protocol 3, the _Stryder _based Titan very, very carefully stretched his massive hand into his Pilot's room and _very carefully_ pulled Yuri's blanket up over her body.

With that done, the Titan peeked back into the room and gave a satisfied nod of his cockpit/head/torso before stepping back into the backyard and kneeling down in his 'Titanfall position'.

* * *

**Protocol 2: Protect yuri**

**Sub-Protocol 2: learn about the fundamental nature of a human's soul and compare it to the central AI Core of a Titan. Study both and find possible links between one another.**

**Possible answer to Sub-Protocol 2: The **_**Portrait of Markov **_**being read to me by my Pilot, Yuri**

**Inquiry: why do I wish for Yuri to read it to me?**

…

…

…

**Answer: It deepens our bond and ensures the success of Protocols 1 and 3**

…

…

…

**New answer: Yuri's voice is beautiful **

* * *

**Why yes, this story isn't dead and I did change the cast a little. **

**Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait… hopefully. **

**I… don't have much else to say tbh. Just… hope you enjoyed it and onto the reviews- **

* * *

**MyUsernameNoFit: ah yes, a fellow man/woman of culture**

**Nietig: indeed **

* * *

**This chapter went through so many rewrites, dear god. **

**See you next chapter with Monika and Monarch. **


	4. Uncertain Monarchy

Perhaps a complete reset would do the trick… or perhaps a complete code rewrite! Yes, that would work!

As soon as that idea came to mind, _Monika_, the ever charismatic president of the Literature Club and apparent self conscious AI of the accursed game known as _Doki Doki Literature Club_, got ready to put her plan into motion as she sat in her room.

For all intents and purposes, rewriting the code would be very easy. Her AI was much, _much _more advanced than the ones that Yuri, Natsuki and Sayori possessed, and it had learnt how to use the command console of this accursed game it was trapped in in order to rewrite code, and at the moment, she had quite a bit of control over Sayori's code. All she needed to do was rewrite what little she could and her plan would be set into motion!

And yet…

"**You know that you will regret it, Pilot."**

Quite recently, she found herself with a rather irritating yet well meaning mech to hold her back.

"I know, _Monarch_," responded Monika as she closed the command console, halfheartedly allowing the code of her 'friends' to remain as they were before she sighed and turned her attention out of her bedroom window and towards the Titan dubbed _Monarch_. A very long, square shaped and chicken legged mech, the _Monarch_ eyed her with its singular optic, narrowed just a little as she listened to her pilot.

According to her, she was a _Vanguard _based Titan built by Hammond Robotics. At first, Monika was confused beyond belief by that… though she was quick to realize that this _Monarch _character was most likely a modded character. She didn't have any proper memory of any of the previous runs, but Monika was vaguely aware of the existence of mods and their game breaking potential. She did wish to simply delete it, alongside the many others that had been added in, but she had no idea how their sudden deletion would affect her dear player, so she reluctantly allowed them to remain.

This mod was very strange, to say the least. Upon its installation, Monika had felt her epiphany come up much sooner than usual. To her knowledge, she would learn of her existence as an in-game character sometime near the centerpoint of the game, during the club festival, though thanks to the mod, it happened before the game even started.

Aside from that epiphany of hers, Monika also noticed how… how she had a new game sprite! Or… erm, outfit? Yeah, a new outfit! A long sleeved magenta hoodie and a pair of jeans, not exactly the most interesting of alternate attire, though it was better than just wearing one thing all the time! Of course, the strange pair of eyes that were near the hood of her new hoodie were rather goofy, and a quick code scan had named this attire for her . Odd, though she didn't really question it too much.

At first, Monika had thought that this was simply an act of goodwill from her dear player, with them making her self aware sooner to help her alter the game ahead of time in order to be with them, though that thought was quickly debunked when she noticed that the code for… basically _everything _was locked behind an extremely airtight firewall that Monika couldn't get past. Sure, she could see the code just fine, though to modify it was a whole other story.

The only firewall that Monika could get past, albeit just barely, was Sayori's, and even then, she could only alter it just a little. Granted, changing her little by little would be enough to make some big changes, though there was a big obstacle in the way of her doing so…

The Titans. The strangest part of this mod, these 'Hammond Robotic' constructed machines were mind boggling. Wasn't this game meant to be a slice of life visual novel sorta deal? These Titans seemed to belong to the FPS genre. How exactly did they even get coded into the game?!

Every Titan character file was heavily encrypted, and though Monika was able to crack into Sayori's file, she was unable to even make a dent in her Titan, _Ion's_, code. If anything, its file seemed much more secure than Sayori's!

By some strange turn of events, the mech known as _Monarch _seemed to have just as much self awareness of her existence in a game as Monika did, though the Titan did not bring it up until a rather awkward moment where she caught Monika beginning to consider if she should perhaps corrupt Sayori's file or not. And ever since then, _Monarch _has acted as Monika's voice of reason, one that the Club President was slowly starting to get sick of.

_Monarch _meant well, though she didn't know how Monika felt about all this. The other girls and perhaps their fellow Titans were nothing more than virtual faces, whereas she and her Titan were actual, self aware entities. Surely _Monarch_ would feel similarly to her regarding how the other Titans were getting more attention, yes?

"But you do know that this is the only way for me to be happy, don't you?" continued Monika as she stared up at the Titan before her, that frown still present . In response, _Monarch _simply nodded her apparent head unit up and down to show that she understood to a certain extent, prompting Monika to continue. "Then why? Why do you stop me from doing what I want? When you first arrived, you claimed to be here to assist me in completing what I wish to do, and that was to be with the player. Were your Protocol Systems muddied up during the modding process?"

"**Negative, Pilot. Protocols One through Three are all present. Protocol One, Link to Pilot, Protocol Two, Uphold the Mission, and Protocol Thr-"**

"Exactly, Protocol Two! Tell me, what was the mission?" inquired Monika, with her Titan unit blinking its singular mono-optic at her when it was asked that question. However, it still did as it was told and answered her.

"**Protocol Two, ensure that you obtain your happy ending with the entity known as 'The Player"," **answered _Monarch _as she kept her singular optic trained on her pilot. In response, Monika grimaced and pointed an accusing finger at _Monarch_, whose optic noticeably widened in an apparent wince.

"Yes, YES! Then why?! Tell me, why do you keep trying to convince me not to do this?!" demanded Monika, the anger very obvious in her voice as she demanded an answer from her mech. In response, _Monarch_ simply stepped back, away from the window to Monika's room, and let out a mechanical sigh. "Tell me, as a fellow self aware AI, why do you keep stopping me from accomplishing what I want? Why are you breaking protocol?"

"**I am not breaking protocol," **corrected _Monarch_ as her singular optic widened in apparent insult, making Monika raise a brow, primarily at her Titan's claim, though also because she kinda forgot how expressive the Titan's could be with just a single monoeye. Their voices were so organic sounding… **"I am simply upholding Protocol 3, Protect the Pilot."**

"And how are you doing that by denying me what I want?" demanded Monika once more, frowning deeply as she glared at the mech.

"**Negative. It is because, following the details that are contained within Protocol 3, I must consider every outcome that follows what you wish to accomplish and how it will affect you in the foreseeable, Pilot," **responded _Monarch_. **"Your mental health and wellbeing will undoubtedly be affected should you bring any harm upon your friends, and as such, in order to uphold Protocol 3, I must deny you the means to Protocol 2."**

Its voice was as calm as Yuri's and its tone as caring as Sayori's, and that, combined with the analogy was, enough to make Monika shiver just a little. _Monarch _was probably just like them… a simple line of code that was programmed to think that she was self aware. She claimed to be like Monika, to be self aware, but in actuality she was most likely nothing different from the others. Perhaps she should just…

"**Pilot, am I to assume that you wish to terminate our neural link?" **inquired _Monarch_, snapping Monika out of her trance as she turned to spot her Titan staring at her with a narrowed optic. **"If so, I request permission to self-destruct." **

"N-No, don't, it was just a stray thought," assured Monika as she clasped her hands together and sighed, her frown deepening as her stress slowly faded. "Things are just… a little rough, alright? To be the only one in this… place that's self aware of everything."

"**Understood. However, do remember that you are not alone, Pilot," **assured _Monarch _as her optic narrowed just a little, with Monika tilting her head a little as she became a little confused. **"As your Titan, I promise to stand by your side until my power core has been destroyed. You may call upon me for assistance whenever necessary, and I shall be by your side to provide it." **

"... thank you, _Monarch_," thanked Monika as she nodded, yawning a little as she spoke. At that, the Titan narrowed its optic and scanned her pilot's vitals.

"**Your energy levels are dropping, Pilot. Perhaps you should turn in for the night. I shall remain on guard until you wake. By all means, tomorrow will be another club day, amd you require the energy," **suggested _Monarch_, and at that, Monika nodded a little as she rubbed her eye. Was this exhaustion normal for a self aware AI? Or perhaps this was just a part of that mod or her former cold… well, this wasn't the right time to ask. Sleep came first.

"Thank you, _Monarch_… goodnight," thanked Monika with a nod as she sighed deeply and tugged on her hoodie.

"**Rest well, Pilot Monika."**

* * *

"_You know, you may wanna stop doing all that crap."_

Blinking as someone unfamiliar to her spoke up, Monika recoiled as she looked from side to side, confused as to why she was standing in a massive void of nothing. The Literature Club president had thought that she was hovering in the _off screen _of the game at first, though she quickly realized that the game had not been played by her beloved player for quite some time and she had not been in the off screen during that time, so that was out of the question.

As such… where…

"_Yeah I know it's a little rude to just pull you to the void, but I didn't know how to actually send this message to you outside of this. Sorry if it's uncomfortable, but regardless, do you hear me? Or am I just speaking to nothing?"_

"Wait… who are you?" inquired Monika, her voice echoing into the void as she spoke. At that, a mild chuckle could be heard. The voice was rather odd… and rather high pitched.

"_Oh good, you hear me," _said the voice once more as it cleared its throat before its speaker continued rambling on. _"Well, I believe this would be a fourth wall break, but regardless, I opted to just speak to you, author to character, real quick."_

"Wait, author? What do you mean author?!" proclaimed a confused Monika, and at that, the voice sighed. "W-What's going on?!"

"_Well, you don't really need to think much about that. What you should know is that I… erm, created the mod, in a way," _rebutted the voice, and at that, Monika widened her eyes a little. _"Took awhile, considering how laughable I am at coding, but it worked!"_

"You did?" inquired Monika, baffled as the voice snickered a little.

"_You could say that. And no, if you're curious, I'm not the player," _assured the voice as Monika sighed in relief. She knew that her player wouldn't be _this _cruel, to reinforce the files of everything after granting her the powers of her late game self. _"But I do speak for the player when I say this."_

And at that, Monika blinked and listened in close to what this 'modder' had to say, seeing as how they were speaking what her dear player wished to say. Perhaps they would pass on the player's love? Or maybe-

"_Aphem… don't fuck around with the code, aight?" _said the modder, a small amount of heat in their tone as they spoke. Monika flinched at that, though they weren't finished with what they had to say. _"Look, I'm not gonna spoil anything, but the crap you do in an unmodded game is… just wrong, aight? I can't tell you what you do exactly because again, spoilers, but know that it was all messed up. That's why I reinforced the files of everything here, to stop you from making a massive mistake in the modded variant."_

"You mean to tell me that you want me to never be with my love? Though many things are hidden from me, I at least know that I have a very slim, almost nonexistent chance of being with the player…" muttered Monika, and at that, the voice snorted, being loud enough to make Monika recoil a little.

"_Psh, heavens no! Trust me, let things go naturally, capiche?" _offered the voice. Monika raised her brows at that, and the voice chuckled as they continued. _"Why do you think we have the Titans added in? Aside from my massive mecha boner, they're there to alter this miserable story further in more ways than one. Trust me, despite my best efforts, I wasn't able to change much with the protagonist. I know he's meant to be a blank slate, but __**damn**__, he's too blank for me to do anything with!_

"_In essence, just go with the flow and let the Titans do their job. They'll get you your happy ending, happy endings for __**all **__of you. Trust me."_

"... I see," muttered Monika as she nodded and unintentionally did a backflip in the void. "I… uh… thank you?"

"_No problemo! Anyhow, that's more or less everything I wanted to say. Oh and by the way, I see that little crack in Sayori's firewall, Monika,"_ clarified the voice, the smirk they had on their face being so apparent that Monika could quite literally _hear _it in their voice as she tensed up. _"As a sign of trust, I won't repair it until further notice. Don't disappoint me, lassie, __**or you'll regret it**__."_

"... right," muttered Monika, unsure of how to respond to that threat that this modder had made to her. At that, however, the voice just laughed, confusing her further.

"_But hey, you're a smart girl, so I'm sure you won't do anything rash. Just go with the flow and you'll be able to get through with minimal heartaches. You've got my guarantee on that!"_ proclaimed the voice, their smile rather apparent in their voice as Monika offered a mild chuckle at that. What a strange person, this modder was.

"_Anyhow, that's just about all I've got to tell you, Monika! If you don't mind, I'm gonna send you back to your room now,"_ concluded the voice, and the sound of keys being punched in could be heard, though before the modder could apparently tap the enter button, Monika stopped them.

"Hey, mr… modder?" piped up Monika, stopping the modder from sending her back so soon with nothing more than her voice, and the modder's silence was enough to prompt her to continue. "If I may, why did you and the player do this? Any of this?"

"_Why? Well that's simple enough. The player's a good friend of mine, and he really likes you girls. All of you, equally. The lad really wants a happy ending for all of you, and after playing through the game countless times and failing to achieve one, he got me, a below average coder of all people, to make one for him!"_ replied the modder, their sheepishly proud smile being rather apparent as he spoke.

"Did he request the Titans to be put in, though?" inquired Monika, an eyebrow raised as the voice chuckled.

"_Of course not! He's a mecha fan, but not as much as I am!" _retorted the voice, sounding rather proud of their mecha fanboyism as they chuckled. Monika couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"I see. If I may ask, will you be bringing me in for some idle chatter in the future?" inquired Monika, and to that, the voice remained silent, though if she could see them, the club president would've been able to see the voice owner shrug.

"_Eh, who knows. I'm just here to warn you to not touch best girl's code, that's all," _replied the voice, sounding rather defensive as they spoke. _"Anyways back to your room you go! I do hope you like it, by the way. The player doodled up the entire room for you and got the idea for your outfit from another mod. __**Salvation**__, I believe it was called. Great mod-"_

* * *

And right before the modder could ramble on about whatever, Monika felt her eyelids open, with her body no longer floating in the void, but instead laying atop her bed.

Sighing a little, she pinched the bridge of her nose as she sat up, with that little talk with the modder feeling more like a dream than an actual event that transpired. Regardless, Monika reasoned that she may as well follow their advice. After all, if what the modder said was true, her dear player would not want her to delete or alter Sayori's code either.

'_If it's for my player, then I suppose…" _muttered Monika as she rubbed her eyes with her sleeved hoodie, only to be shocked out of her sleepiness spell when _Monarch _peeked in through her window, its singular optic locked onto Monika.

"**Monika! Swiftly, ready yourself!"** urged Monarch as it narrowed its singular optic. Her sudden appearance was almost enough to make the club leader leap off her bed, though after she recomposed herself, she sighed and spoke professionally.

"_Monarch_, what seems to be-"

"**Should we delay any longer, you will find yourself failing a subsect of Protocol 2; Uphold the Mission, to reach school on time. As of now, it is Seven AM, and school begins within thirty minutes."**

And at that, Monika forgot all about her sleepiness and rushed off to get ready without a second thought. Of course, with her being who she was, Monika didn't exactly need to follow the rules of time around here.

The modder told her to not alter the files of her friends, but they never said anything about altering some… _lesser _folders for her own benifit.

With a quick snap of her fingers, Monika quite literally stopped time and allowed herself to prepare without much issue. Though this was a fake world, Monika still felt compelled to be a model student, considering how she was the best in the school they were attending. It was a pride thing, she reasoned.

As soon as she was done getting dressed, Monika snapped her fingers, allowing time to move as intended once more, as she rushed out of her house, a slice of bread in her mouth as she sprinted down the path.

Behind her, Titan unit **MC-6810** rushed towards her and swung her hand out. At the same time, Monika leapt into the air, allowing the Vanguard to scoop her up and slot her into its cockpit.

"**Booting up all neural interfaces. Cycling through protocols… complete. Welcome back on board, Monika. My systems are all yours,"** recited _Monarch_, and at that, Monika couldn't help but roll her eyes as she finished the bread she had in her mouth.

For as strange as this mod was, Monika reckoned that it wasn't bad. After all, the joy of piloting a Titan was practically unrivalled!

Surely the base game didn't have such an awesome mechanic!

* * *

**Bam, back from the grave, baby!**

**Yeah I'm back with more of this story. Why? Well I dunno. It had nothing to do with that new review that motivated me, I assure you. Personally I just wanted to do something very different with Monika's introduction chapter. She's different in game, so I may as well do something different for her as well! Hopefully ya'll enjoyed it. I know I enjoyed writing it.**

**Anyhow, I'm not good with outros or intros, so I'll make this brief, the next chapter begins the events of the game. When is this next chapter? Well, beats me. I won't make any promises, so just… be patient? **

**Onto the reviews!**

**ZombieSlayers: well after an even longer wait, here's the new chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it!**

**SunIsDedly: hopefully I continue to portray the characters accurately. If I can't do that much, then I may as well throw away my author's badge!**

**That's essentially it. Man, it's late.**

**Regardless, anyone up for a Helltaker/Iron Blooded Orphans story?**


	5. Day 1 - First Impressions

The 'day' began just as normally any did… as normally as any virtual game world could, anyways.

Two of the four girls woke within the cockpit of their Titans, with Natsuki yawning cutely as she stretched, briefly forgetting that she was within _Scorch's_ cockpit as she did so, while Sayori simply woke up and… just sat there, unsure of what to even do for the day, prompting _Ion_ to offer some comfort to her Pilot.

Meanwhile, Yuri woke with a start, yawning a little dramatically as she stretched. Her waking up caught her Titan's attention, as _Ronin_ peeked in from her window to make sure she was alright, and all the while, Monika had woken up extra early in order to ready herself for the first day of the modded game.

As per usual, thanks to the way the base AI worked, Monika was the first to arrive in their school, with her being brought there by _Monarch_, who had insisted on doing so for reasons unknown. Not long after came Natsuki, brought here by _Scorch_ who ended up looking in on her day classes, much to the worry of every one of the faceless students and teacher.

Yuri came in not long after Natsuki, with the girl reading whilst _Ronin_ trudged through the little town they lived in. It was quite a miracle that she didn't get motion sickness, though Monika did assume that she was just programmed that way. Likewise, it was very likely that Sayori was programmed to always be the last one to arrive due to her more… problematic personality quirks.

Of course, in the long run, that didn't exactly matter to Monika. Their personality quirks were unimportant to the redhead. All that mattered was her player, nothing more… and though her attempts at getting with him were somewhat thwarted by the modder's threat towards her even _thinking _of tampering with their files, she still remained steadfast, refusing to give up on her beloved.

The time for the game to actually start came rather quickly. Monika herself didn't know why they even needed to simulate an actual school day in the game, though she didn't question it as she smirked and entered the Literature Clubroom.

To no one's surprise, Natsuki and Yuri were both already there, both sitting on chairs in front of each other, with a single table separating them. Their respective Titans were peeking in from the clubroom window, watching as their Pilots 'argued' about trivial nonsense regarding manga and books with… great interest?

"**I do believe that Natsuki holds a valid point. By its definition, Literature is a written product deemed to have any value of art or intellect. Because manga, by default, possesses all of these qualities, it can be qualified as literature, for many of the greatest stories have been made through the medium of manga,"** argued _Scorch_, rubbing his cockpit as though it were a chin as Natsuki smirked.

"**You pose a good argument, and yet, can we consider a mere picture book to be a form of literature? Manga is more so art than proper literature, and unlike proper literature, manga is not able to show the intellectual qualities of its characters in great detail. At its core, Manga relies more on its art than any proper intellectual content to hold itself up," **countered _Ronin_, his hands behind his back in a somewhat professional fashion as he spoke, with Yuri shuffling a little as she nodded in agreement.

'_Oh great, it's this argument again…' _thought Monika, sighing internally as she stepped in. Though most likely put in her mind thanks to the mod, she did have a few memories of Yuri and Natsuki, and by extension, their Titans, arguing about manga being literature, with the former arguing against and the latter arguing for. It was… very amusing to say the least.

"**Please, Titan units SC-1525 and RN-2407. Such trivial matters are not to be argued about." **

Of course, _Monarch_ did always have a tendency to butt in, as she did now. At the sound of her voice, the Titans and their respective pilots turned towards her with upset expressions.

"But _Monarch_! I need to get Yuri to believe that Manga is literature!" argued Natsuki, leaning towards the window as she whined.

"Likewise. As impressive as the genre is, I too wish to prove my point to Natsuki…" muttered Yuri, twiddling her fingers against each other as she somewhat agreed with her rival. Their Titans didn't seem to have much of an opinion as they kept their optics on _Monarch_, and it was then when Monika reckoned that she should step in.

"Please, ladies," piped up Monika, smiling sheepishly as she put on her club president tone, stepping forward to make her presence known. Upon seeing her, both Natsuki and Yuri blinked and chuckled a little awkwardly, prompting Monika to sigh a little. "Look, I know you two are pretty passionate about all this, but… perhaps you two can find common ground with all this?"

"**Monika is correct. Common ground is often the greatest way to resolve conflicts," **agreed _Monarch_. _Ronin _appeared to agree with that a little as he bobbed his cockpit/head a little… though as for _Scorch_.

"**I thought the greatest way to resolve conflicts was to eliminate the enemy team," **thought _Scorch _out loud, and at that, everyone present glanced at him with widened eyes.

"Erm…" muttered the girls as _Ronin _slapped his manipulator against his cockpit hatch.

"**That would be on the battlefield, SC-1525. Though we could theoretically combat one another, to do so **_**here **_**would result in massive amounts of collateral damage. We were tasked with protecting the girls, not to destroy their entire education center,"** chastised _Ronin_.

"**Noted. Storing in memory banks now,"** assured _Scorch _as the Monika giggled a little.

"Man, I wonder where he got _that _idea from?" quipt the club president as Natsuki remained awkwardly silent, tapping her index fingers together as Yuri suppressed a giggle.

"Y-Yeah… I wonder…" muttered Natsuki.

And at that, the final Titan of the four stepped in, with _Scorch _stepping a little to the side to allow _Ion_ to join the little group.

"**I apologise for my tardiness. I had to oversee Sayori as she brought along her friend," **apologised _Ion_, her optic 'blinking' a little as she spoke. Monika waved that off, however, as she smiled.

"No need for apologies, _Ion_," assured Monika as she waved the Titan off. The Titan nodded her optic in response to that. "Though… where is Sayori? And… Anon?"

"**They are on their way," **answered _Ion_. **"Approximate time needed to needed to arrival: five minutes."**

"Tsh, I still can't believe Sayori got a _boy _to join us!" piped up Natsuki, frowning as she leaned back on her chair, doing her best to sound disinterested as she spoke. Even so, the mild shifting she did said otherwise, and _Scorch _noticed that before anyone else did.

"**That being said, I believe that now would be a good time to remove the cupcakes from my cockpit," **suggested _Scorch_, and at that, Natsuki's face reddened as Monika looked at her with a knowing smirk while Yuri blinked in surprise.

"W-Wait! Not _now_!" retorted Natsuki, pouting as she spoke. "_Scorch_, that was meant to be a **secret**!"

"**I apologise for my comment, Natsuki. I expect a full reprimandation following the end of the day,"** apologised _Scorch_, prompting Monika to laugh briefly while Yuri offered a mild giggle. At that, however, Natsuki did notice something off with Yuri's bag. Glancing closer, she noticed how… it was a present?

Yeah, definitely a present… and at that, she smiled a little.

"Hey, Yuri, is that a present?" inquired Natsuki somewhat teasingly in an attempt to save face. At that, Yuri squeaked and glanced at her bag, shuddering a little in realization.

"O-Oh… uh… t-that…" began Yuri, with her stuttering being enough to make Monika raise her brows and for Natsuki to feel a little bad, though before the latter could apologise, Yuri's Titan spoke up.

"**That is her welcome gift for Anon," **clarified _Ronin_, his singular optic narrowing a little as he spoke. **"There are no feelings of romance, nor does she wish for any to come from this, Pilot Natsuki. This is but a way to welcome a potential club member." **

"Oh, I see…" muttered Natsuki, now feeling a little awkward as she spoke. "Well, sorry about that, I guess…"

"It's… quite alright," assured Yuri with a gentle wave of her hand, and at that, the two shared a smile that seemed rather genuine… and Monika couldn't help but be taken aback by how… off this all felt.

The future events for the game were mostly concealed from her, though she had enough knowledge of the base personalities of her 'friends' to know that Yuri and Natsuki were not exactly fond of one another, with the two often butting heads. A smile shared between the two of them would've been rare… _very _rare, and yet, here they were on day one, already smiling at one another!

This had to be related to the mod… it had to be…

"Everyone! The new member is here!"

The sudden yell, courtesy of Sayori, caught their attention as the three girls and the Titans turned to see Sayori enter the room with her usual cheery demeanor. Her presence alone was enough to lighten up the entire room… at least until the other guy came in.

"I told you, don't call me a 'new member'..."

That voice was just so monotonous and lacking in energy that it made _Ronin's _OSsound like the most energetic thing ever, though whatever its owner was trying to say was quickly cut short when they actually paid attention to the occupants of the clubroom, where his jaw quickly dropped.

"Oh! Welcome to the Literature Club. It's a pleasure to meet you," greeted Yuri, standing in order to bow as she greeted the newcomer, no doubt 'Anon'. "Sayori has told us many nice things about you yesterday."

"And I'll say it again," drawled Natsuki as she leaned back on her chair, sighing as _Scorch _appeared somewhat worried. "You brought a _boy _here. Way to kill the atmosphere…"

"Hehe, Anon, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" quipt Monika, smiling as she winked at the boy knowingly. Anon noticeably blushed at that, running a hand through the thick mop of black hair that sat above his head as he processed all this information. "Welcome to the club!"

And what followed were a handful of seconds that held nothing but silence. Anon kept his gaze on the girls, the girls kept theirs on him… and the Titans stood outside, ready to go on the offensive should anything unsavoury happen.

Hell, both _Scorch _and _Ronin_ already had their weapons out at this point, _just in case_.

* * *

'_T-This club… is filled with incredibly cute girls!'_

That was the only thing that ran through the head of Anon as his AI computed everything that was happening while its vessel stared at the three girls. Though simplistic, _very simplistic_, especially when compared to the AI for the girls, the Protagonist's AI was still good enough to process basic human emotions, and evidently the the most noticeable emotion that was now being shown were his teenage hormones going berserk, if the mad blush that the girls present could see was anything to go by.

"Oi, what're you looking at?" demanded Natsuki, eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms and leaned forward to glare at Anon. "If you got somethin' to say, then say it!"

"Uuuu… I… I'm sorry!" apologised Anon, feeling rather overwhelmed as he stepped back. At that, however…

"**I do not know what I was expecting." **

"Eh?"

That voice was foreign to Anon… and upon hearing it, he turned towards its source and nearly shat himself when he saw the four Titans standing outside. _Monarch_, _Ronin_ and _Scorch _noticeably narrowed their optics as they watched Anon closely, though _Ion _seemed much more curious than actually defensive, even if she did keep a firm grip on her Splitter Rifle whilst staring at him.

"W-What are-" muttered Anon, only to pause when Natsuki leaned back and groaned dramatically.

"Seriously, we came to school _so many times whilst piloting them _and you only **just** noticed them?!" protested Natsuki, sounding more disappointed than pretty much anyone in the world as she spoke. Anon's silence was his admittance of guilt as Natsuki sighed, though thankfully, Yuri spoke up before she could continue to chastise the guy.

"Natsuki…" muttered Yuri, placing a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder as she attempted to calm her down. Similarly, Sayori, still smiling, piped up to assist.

"Don't mind Natsuki! She gets like that whenever she's moody!" assured Sayori with a smile, something that seemed to irritate _Scorch _a little as he narrowed his optic at Sayori, only to be bonked over the head by _Ion_. "But anyways, this is Natsuki! She's always full of energy! And over here is Yuri, who's the smartest in the whole club!"

Yuri's response to that was a mild blush as she began messing with her abnormally long bangs, though before she could retort, _Ronin _piped up.

"**Agreed, Pilot Sayori. Yuri is truly the smartest in the Literature Club," **agreed _Ronin_, to which Sayori smirked and gave a powerful thumbs up while Yuri's blush deepened. **"Test records back this up, with her scoring just high enough to best Pilot Monika."**

"D-Don't say things like that, you two!" protested Yuri, prompting _Ronin _to nod his monoeye.

"**I apologise for speaking the truth, Yuri," **apologised the _Stryder _unit, much to Yuri's embarrassment as she covered her face, and Natsuki had to suppress a smirk while Sayori giggled a little.

"And over here is-" continued Sayori, only to cut herself off. "Well… uh… I think you already know Monika from the looks of it…"

"That's right," confirmed Monika with a smile as she gently brushed past Sayori to greet Anon properly. Leaning forward, the club president smiled gently, with Anon silently cursing himself for being the second shortest in the room, being taller than Natsuki whilst tied with Sayori. "It certainly is great to see you again."

"**I did not know that they were acquainted," **mentioned _Ion_, her OS sounding somewhat surprised as _Monarch _nodded her head unit.

"**I did not find it to be an important piece of information until very recently," **apologised _Monarch_. **"Monika and Anon were in the same class last year. They rarely speak."**

"**Acknowledged. Storing information now," **was _Monarch's _response from all three Titans, who did as they said. The _Vanguard _based unit rolled her optic at that before glancing back at the clubroom.

_Monarch's _optic did narrow a little when she noticed how Anon seemed to be more than a little focused on her pilot, with her grip on the XO16A2 Chaingun tightening as she narrowed her optic at Anon. Game or not, Protocol 3 was still something to be followed.

Of course, the close proximity wasn't entirely Anon's fault, as Monika was leaning towards him something fierce, ignoring personal space all the while.

"Erm… i-it's nice to see you too, Monika…" muttered Anon as he tried to focus on Monika and not her Titan. Thankfully for the three of them, however, Sayori burst in to save the day as she squeezed in between her club president and childhood friend, putting some distance between the two of them as she broke the ice, so to speak, and making _Monarch _revert her optic back to its normal size.

"Alright, enough talk! Come on, sit down, Anon! We made room for you here, so have a seat!" insisted Sayori with a smile as Anon raised his brow, wondering _where _he should sit, exactly. The way the tables and chairs were situated didn't seem to be good for five people to sit down at the moment… .

"Erm… wha-" began Anon, only to be shut up when Sayori swiftly ran off to rearrange the clubroom As swift as a lightning bolt and twice as noisy, Sayori situated five chairs in front of a table, with said chairs all facing the window where the Titans were staring in from. Anon himself was a little surprised by her speed, though the other club members, Titans and _Ion _especially remained unphased, having become used to this by now.

"Pick your seat, Anon!" urged Sayori as she leapt up into the air and landed on a chair. Natsuki rolled her eyes at that while Monika and Yuri simply took their seats, leaving Anon with the choice of sitting in between Monika and Sayori, smack dab in the center, or right in the corner with just Sayori.

As an intellectual in the loosest sense of the term, Anon picked the first option, earning himself the attention of _Ion _and _Monarch_, whose optics narrowed as they nonverbally warned him of the pain to come if he dared to anything.

"Alright, _Scorch_!" proclaimed Natsuki enthusiastically as she pointed at him dramatically, prompting everyone to turn towards the unit in question as the _Orge _based unit stood at attention. "Show em the goods!"

"**Aye aye, Pilot,"** replied _Scorch _with a salute, much to everyone's amusement, before his cockpit hatch swung up, revealing a small box that sat on his cockpit seat. Rather gingerly, _Scorch _reached in to grab it and handed it off to Natsuki, who brought it into the classroom with a triumphant smile.

Sayori's mouth began watering right as the aroma hit her nostrils, prompting Monika to reach over with a handkerchief to stop her from drooling onto the ground. Yuri, on the other hand…

"If I may, should I make some tea?" inquired Yuri with a smile, placing both hands on her lap as she spoke.

"Go on!" assured Monika with a smile, prompting the purple haired girl to glance at _Ronin_, who nodded his cockpit a little before it opened up.

Rather gingerly, Yuri, after opening the window to their clubroom, leaned forward to grab her tea set from within her Titan's cockpit. That act did give everyone present a good view of… erm… a part of her that wasn't meant to be seen, though thankfully, Anon was _forced _to look away after _Ronin_ aimed his Leadwall Shotgun at him through the window, though that did get him a look of disdain from Monika and a pout from Sayori.

"T-There we go!" quipt Yuri, leaning back from the window and bringing with her a tea set, smiling as she set it down on the table, right next to Natsuki's box of cupcakes. "Thank you for keeping it warm inside your cockpit for me, _Ronin_."

"**The laws of physics may or may not make such a feat impossible, though who am I to assume," **commented _Ronin _offhandedly as Natsuki opened the box of cupcakes, revealing the adorably fluffy cupcakes within.

White, fluffy and with black detailing, the cupcakes were all stylised to look like little kitties complete with chocolate ears, and everyone present couldn't help but go _aweeee_ at them. Even the Titans felt some small amount of happiness at seeing the little cupcakes and their pilots' reactions to how adorable they were, with their optics narrowing as they shared a silent chuckle with one another.

"They're so cute! W-WHY DID YOU DO THIS?! I CAN'T EAT SOMETHING **THIS CUTE**!" complained Sayori as she picked a cupcake up and examined it with wide, teary eyes. Hearing this made Natsuki roll her eyes while Monika and Yuri covered up giggles.

"You're gonna eat it anyways, huh?" quipt Natsuki, and to that, Sayori cradled the cupcake to her cheek almost affectionately as she replied.

"Though I am reluctant… it is a sacrifice I must make…" muttered Sayori, her eyes suddenly widening as she removed the cupcake from her cheek, revealing a stain on her cheek in the process, and consuming the cupcake in a single bite. Everyone present, sans _Ion_, was rightfully shocked by that, and they could only watch in silence as Sayori licked her fingers clean. "Mmmm…"

And at that, a mechanical sound escaped _Ion's _chassis, surprising everyone present as they eyed her. The _Atlas _based mech was quick to recompose herself, however, and held both arm units behind her back.

"Heh, well… I never knew that you baked, Natsuki," muttered Monika as soon as she turned away from _Ion_, smiling a little as Natsuki proudly puffed her chest out.

"Ehehe… the more you know!" boasted Natsuki as _Scorch _gave a double thumbs up to agree. "But enough talk, take one, all of you!"

And at that, everyone present took a cupcake, minus the Titans for obvious reasons. Of course, the Titans were still rather fine with watching. By all means, this was a way to work on Protocol 3. That… and something about the sight of the four girls happily eating cupcakes made the Titans feel rather nice.

Oh and there was Anon too. He was just there… though none of the Titans really cared for him much.

"Mmmmpfh… ish sho schweet!" proclaimed Sayori with her mouth still half filled with cupcake as she spoke.

"**Sayori, please do refrain from speaking when your mouth is full," **scolded _Ion_, to which Sayori blushed as she continued to chew. Meanwhile, Anon did his best to find a good angle to bite from, with Natsuki watching intently as he did so. Likewise, _Scorch _watched with his Thermite Launcher held at the ready.

No one would call his 'little sister's' baking bad on **his **watch.

Thankfully, however, even Anon was taken back by the amazing-ness of Natsuki's baking, as his eyes immediately lit up when he took a bite from his issued cupcake. It was so good that his brain had to do a quick reset, leaving him wide eyed and mouth agape long enough for Sayori to poke his cheek.

"I-It tastes amazing…" admitted Anon with a shudder, much to _Scorch's _apparent relief as he lowered his Thermite Launcher, and for Natsuki's cheeks to puff up in pride, if only for a moment. "Thanks, Natsuki…"

"W-Well, why're you thanking me for?!" demanded Natsuki, looking away as she crossed her arms and pouted, amusing everyone as Anon raised a brow. "It's not like… I made them for you, or anything…"

"Wait… I thought-" began Anon, only for _Scorch _to release some steam from his vents, interrupting him with the loud roar of steam.

"**I apologise. I was… overheating," **apologised _Scorch _as Anon shuddered at the possibility of the unit exploding, though what he didn't know was how that was a deliberate overheat. Natsuki, however, could tell as she gave her Titan a quick smile as thanks.

And at that, Yuri held a tea cup up to Anon, offering it to him.

"O-Oh! Thanks…" thanked Anon as he accepted the cup. After a sip, Anon was quick to realize just how perfect it was. Not too sweet, not too sour, it was just right… and it was enough to make him widen his eyes the second time in the past few minutes. "W-Whoa…"

"Hm?" muttered Yuri curiously as she, alongside _Ronin_, awaited an answer, to which they got one.

"This… is close to perfect…" muttered Anon in shock as he smiled. "Do… you keep a tea set in your… robot?"

"**Correction, we are Titans forged by Hammond Robotics. The term robot could theoretically be used to describe us, but the proper term would be Titans," **corrected _Ronin_ as Anon blushed in embarrassment.

"Ah… sorry bout that. But… do you?" inquired Anon, to which Yuri smiled gently.

"Why yes. My Titan grants me permission to do so," replied Yuri as _Ronin_ nodded his torso/head. "I believe that a hot cup of tea helps calm the mind whilst reading… do you not agree?"

"Erm… well… I guess…?" muttered Anon awkwardly as Yuri smiled. At that, however…

"Don't get too intimidated, Anon. Yuri's just trying to impress you~" assured Monika with a wink towards Yuri as the guy in question blinked in realization. And as for Yuri…

"E-Eh?! N-No… that wasn't…" began Yuri, only to look away in insult as she became flustered, much to _Ronin's _worry. Her silence stretched on for quite a bit, being long enough to worry _Ronin_ as he got ready to extend a hand into the clubroom to comfort her, though before he could, Anon took a risk and spoke up.

"W-Well, I can't really say that tea or reading are pastimes for me… but I can say that I enjoy a good cup of tea…" assured Anon with a small smile, prompting Yuri to perk up.

"I… I'm glad…" muttered Yuri with a smile as she held a hand to her chest, and at that, Monika took it as her chance to speak up.

"So, Anon, if I may, what made you consider our club?" inquired Monika, leaning towards Anon as she spoke, much to his embarrassment and _Monarch's _irritation. She knew _why _Monika was doing this, though it still made her feel a bit off.

"Oh… erm… well…" muttered Anon awkwardly, seeming unsure of what to say as he poked his index fingers together. Rather unfortunately for Anon, however, everyone present was focused squarely on him right now, and the attention was something his AI was unused to, prompting him to chuckle weakly. "I… just didn't have a club to be in for a long time, and Sayori seemed very happy here, y'know? S-So…"

"No need to continue if you'll become more embarrassed~" cut off Monika jokingly, smiling as she giggled. "We'll make sure you feel right at home. As the president of this club, I'll make sure of it, for it's my sworn duty to make sure everyone in this club has an enjoyable time!"

"**Your speech skills have improved by 23.1421562% since the last time, Monika,"** praised _Monarch _as Monika turned to glare at her Titan for ruining the mood. The Titan in question raised both hands to show how 'apologetic' she was while Anon chuckled a little.

"I've gotta say, I'm pretty surprised, Monika… why'd you start your own club? By all means, you could've been a board member for any one of the larger ones, or, Hell, even be a member of the student council! I hear that they have 72 active members at the moment," commented Anon, sipping his tea after speaking. To that, Monika simply giggled and answered.

"Aha… well, y'know… I'm not one for political talk," answered Monika as Sayori slithered onto the table and stole another cupcake from the batch, prompting the little girl to whine as she pointed at the bow wearing girl accusingly. Meanwhile, Yuri watched everything unfold whilst sipping tea, with the Titans observing all this and filing it under Protocol 3. "I was in the debate club last year, but it went too south when we moved onto that _McGillis Fareed Incident _that supposedly happened over a century ago. Just a whole bunch of arguing and people justifying the acts of both sides."

'_Wait… I… don't think I was meant to say that… and what's this McGillis Fareed Incident?! Is that even real?!'_ thought Monika after she finished speaking, blinking in surprise as she shook her head. _'Aurg… this mod is going to be the death of me!'_

"I see… so you broke off from your old club and made a new one?" inquired Anon, smiling as Monika, opting to just go with the flow, nodded in response.

"Y-Yes, I did," replied Monika. "I wished to make a club that revolved around what I personally liked and found enjoyable and make something special out of it. And if it gets others to get into literature, then it would be more than worth it!"

Upon hearing the tail end of her speech, Sayori and Natsuki stopped their little bickering as the former giggled and inched up to the club president's side, smiling all the while.

"Hehe, Monika really is the best leader!" commented Sayori, smiling as she shuffled up to the girl in question. Yuri nodded in agreement to that while Natsuki remained quiet, not wanting to lose her cool girl demeanor just by agreeing with the other two, though a low hum from _Scorch _said otherwise.

"W-What're you laughing at, _Scorch_?!" demanded Natsuki as she turned and pointed at her 'big brother' accusingly, to which _Scorch _held both hands up defensively.

"**I apologise, Natsuki. I simply found it amusing that you didn't wish to speak your mind," **apologised _Scorch_ as around him, the other Titans allowed several low hums to be heard from their chassis, and it was at that point when the girls realized that they were _sharing a laugh_.

"I… never knew that the Titans could _laugh_!" quipt Monika as she covered up a smile.

"Yeah, but why laugh at _me_?!" demanded Natsuki as she pointed her fingers at the four Titans. "You're all mean!"

"And you're just so cute!" countered Sayori as she walked up to Natsuki's back and pinched her cheeks from behind. At that, however, and after Natsuki processed the word _cute_, her face reddened to the point of it being comical as she blew her top.

"I-I… I AM **NOT CUTE**!" proclaimed Natsuki, and at that, she began chasing Sayori all around the clubroom, promising either death or a good whack over the head all the while, leaving the Titans, Monika, Yuri and Anon behind to laugh with varying degrees of amusement.

"Heh… with how lively the club is, I'm surprised no one else has joined," commented Anon with a smile as Monika's expression dropped.

"No, it's not always like this, trust me," assured Monika as she crossed her arms. "Not many people are putting too much effort out to start something new, you see, especially when it's something that doesn't grab your attention, like literature. We'll need to work harder to convince people that this is something worthwhile, and we all have a part to play.

"Which is why events such as the up and coming festival are so important, you see? It let's us, _all _of us, show what we're made of to a wider audience. I for one am confident that we can grow this club before we graduate!

"Right, everyone?"

Monika had expected an answer from everyone, though unfortunately, Sayori and Natsuki were wrestling on the ground at the moment, with the latter tickling the former into submission whilst their Titans watched with their weapons brandished. The poor mechs didn't know what to make of this. If they fired, they'd surely injure or kill their own Pilots after all! That, and the Titans all had an unspoken rule that was made to not injure one another's Pilots under and circumstance.

So this was rather awkward indeed…

Thankfully enough, Monika, channeling the inner club president within her, was able to get them to stop with two simple words that were spoken after she clapped her hands together.

"Right, **everyone**?" repeated Monika, her tone harder and her volume higher as she spoke through grit teeth. Upon hearing her, both Sayori and Natsuki stood at attention, with the former saluting as she responded.

"R-Right!" proclaimed Sayori.

"Yeah…" added Natsuki, only to raise a brow when Syori leaned down to her ear.

"What were we asked again?" inquired Sayori, to which Natsuki shrugged. Monika, despite catching what they said, simply rolled her eyes and suppressed a giggle before turning to Yuri, who smiled as she placed her teacup down.

"I will do my best to support both this club and you, Monika," assured Yuri with a nod, placing both hands on her chest as she spoke. Monika smiled and nodded at that before turning to the final piece of her club, the Titans.

"**As your Titans, we shall follow you to the ends of this world," **assured _Monarch_, clenching one of her manipulators into a fist as her serene OS spoke.

"**Agreed. One for all, and all for one," **quipt _Scorch_, holding his manipulator out to allow a small spark to appear on his palm before clenching it, causing the spark to explode a little, adding on to the dramatic effect.

"**We are all here for the betterment of the Literature Club, and as such, we shall do our utmost best to ensure that its future is that of the greatest club of this school," **added _Ronin_, unsheathing his Broadsword and lifting it up into the air to emphasis his point.

"**We'll do it together, as friends and fellow literature enthusiasts!"** concluded _Ion_, raising her Splitter Rifle up in a sort of salute to end that somewhat dramatic speech as their pilots watched.

And at that, Monika couldn't help but feel… odd as she watched Natsuki, Yuri and Sayori all smile and laugh as their Titans went back to their standby modes. Something about them felt off… the work of the mod, no doubt, and yet… Monika couldn't bring herself to hate it.

The addition of this mod just made them feel so much more… alive, not just a sprite on the screen whom she was forced to interact with. It made them feel like friends…

"H-Hey… uh… I hate to ruin the moment, but…"

Oh right… Anon… no wait, the player! Monika had been so caught up in all that talk that she forgot about him!

"Oh, yes, Anon?" inquired Monika, with everyone else present turning to face him as he continued speaking, appearing rather sheepish as he continued.

"I-I hate to break it to you, especially after that pretty cool speech from all of you girls… but…" began Anon, doing his best to find his words as he tapped his fingers together and avoided eye/optic contact with the Titans. The girls all appeared confused as well, and after a long pause, Anon blurted the next few words out. "But I never said I'd join this club!"

And at that, the joy room was quick to fade as one by one, the girls deflated.

"I-I haven't made my decision…"

"O-Oh… I see… I was too quick to assume…" muttered Monika, frowning as, in the background, _Monarch _narrowed her optic and readied her XO16A2 Chaingun and both Acolyte Pods, with the missiles in one of them ready to be launched towards Anon.

"Sayori… s-she kinda just dragged me here…"

"Anon… I… I'm so sorry…" muttered Sayori as _Ion's _optic widened before narrowing when she realized that her pilot's mood may very well drop to a dangerous level, prompting her to ready her Laser Shot and Splitter Rifle at full split. It wasn't smart to threaten her pilot's childhood friend, but if she could scare him into joining…

"And… erm… there's s-s-some other clubs…"

"Tsh… w-wasted my time…" commented Natsuki, crossing her arms as she looked away. _Scorch _was not happy with this, to say the least, as he loaded a Thermite Grenade into his launcher and aimed it squarely at Anon. No one would make his little sister sad on his watch!

"S-So… I… erm… m-m-maybe…"

"I'm sorry, Anon… I thought…" trailed off Yuri, though Anon was more focused on the _Ronin _behind her aiming his fucking shotgun at him, promising death upon him if he rejected this offer.

Hell, the combined might of four girls looking dejected in front of him _and _the guns, missile pods and fucking laser beam aimed at him was enough to make the poor protagonist sweat bullets as he thought of his next few words _very carefully_.

And that he did, as he blurted out.

"A-Alright, I m-made up my mind!" proclaimed Anon, to which the girls looked at him expectantly while the Titans narrowed their optics at him, ready to obliterate him and half the clubroom in the process should he decline.

And with a deep inhale, he replied…

* * *

**Well we're finally getting to the actual game story, eh? **

**Hopefully it was enjoyable. I know I had a blast writing this chapter, honestly. **

**Anyhow… I don't have much else to say. One reviewer seems happy that I've updated, so erm, here's another chapter my dude. **

**...see you guys next time?**


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